Virtual Star Embryology
by JudeDeluca
Summary: A warrior, a may queen, a witch, a girl, an angel of loneliness, and a creature of the night will be given a chance to fight for the power of revolution. This is only the beginning. Learn the final fate of Utena and Anthy. Chap 5/6 is up. Chap 1 revised!
1. 1: Warrior of a Fallen Kindom

Disclaimer: I do not own Revolutionary Girl Utena, X-Men Evolution, McDonalds, Hamlet, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Kill Bill, Twisted Nerve, DC Comics and any character created by them, Be-Papas and any character created by them, or Kingdom Come. The only character in this story of my own true creation is Ebony Dent and I would not tolerate use of her without my say-so.

For future stories, visit my profile page.

Hello to all. The following is the first part in a major epic of my creation called _Virtual Star Embryology_. Based on the anime _Revolutionary Girl Utena_ and named after its second ending theme, _Virtual Star Embryology_ spans out into a multitude of literary universes, starting with _Kingdom Come_, and Elseworlds tale. End of the World is back, and he's started more duels. But why? And what does this spell for those unlucky enough to receive his rings? At least, those who manage to keep theirs. And where is Utena? Or Anthy? Or the Student Council? I've already posted this first part on the Utena forum _In the Rose Garden_ at www.forums.ohtori.nu, moderated by the gracious Giovanna, Yasha, and satyreyes, who were kind enough to allow me into their forum as XHelios6. I'm almost done with Part Two, and as soon as I am done with that I'll be posting the entire, edited version onto here as well as all the other parts. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my brain child of _Virtual Star Embryology_. But before I do, I'd like to thank Chiho Saito, Kunihiko Ikuhara, and the staff at Be-Papas for creating _Revolutionary Girl Utena_. And I would like to dedicate this to my family, friends, and my Grandma. May she rest in peace.

* * *

_Planet Krypton, Metropolis, New York, Earth-22_

**Man**: I ordered this over an hour and a half ago! And now it's ice cold.  
**Ebony**: I'm sorry sir. Most of the staff has been out sick and we're shorthanded today. If you'd like something else-  
**Man**: Forget it.

The short-tempered man gets up in a huff, takes his jacket from the girl at the coat-rack.

**Ebony**: Thank you, come again…

The man slams the glass doors behind him, shaking some of the items in the display cases. The waitress, Ebony, is a teenage girl. Tall, but not too tall, with creamy skin, long black hair, and olive green eyes.

**Ebony**: Asshole.

(That's me, Ebony Dent. I'm seventeen and this is the world I live in. I work as a waitress at a theme restaurant called Planet Krypton. The outfit I'm currently wearing is part of the theme here. Besides being stockpiled with pieces of superhero history, the staff has to dress up like superheroes. As luck would have it I got stuck wearing a Rac Shade costume. Almost no one knows who that is and it gets really frustrating having to tell them who he is. It's like explaining nuclear physics to a dead parrot)

_Flashback_

**Ebony**: Hello, welcome to Planet Krypton, may I take your order?  
**Man**: What superhero are you supposed to be?  
**Ebony**: I'm Shade.  
**Man**: I thought that was Shade.

The man points to a waiter dressed like the Shade.

**Ebony**: No, that's _the_ Shade. I'm Shade the Changing Man, there's a difference.  
**Man**: What's the difference?  
**Ebony**: The Shade controls darkness. I control madness and for some reason go through different hairstyles every five minutes. And I even used to own a hotel.  
**Man**: How can you control madness?  
**Ebony**: It's the jacket.  
**Man**: Why can it control madness?  
**Ebony**: Because it was made in a place called Meta.  
**Man**: What's Meta?  
**Ebony**: I have no idea. So, what would you-  
**Man**: Are you from Meta?  
**Ebony**: Yes.  
**Man**: So how could you not know?  
**Ebony**: Because the last person who had this costume lost the description and for some reason involving a microwave and a poodle, no one likes to talk about him. All the information I got came from the boss, and he nearly threw up when he saw me wearing this.  
**Man**: What happened to your hotel?  
**Ebony**: I burnt it down for the insurance money, then squandered it on internet stock. That's how I got this wonderful job. Anything else, or are you ready to order?  
**Man**: Yeah, why are you wearing a man's costume?  
**Ebony**: Because I can't afford the surgery.  
**Man**: Really? Me too!

_End Flashback_

(At least the parrot doesn't respond)

Ebony takes the plate of cold food back to the kitchen. The chef, Tony, is dressed up like Robotman, and is looking exhausted.

**Tony**: What? Another one?  
**Ebony**: Sorry, Tony. Didn't even bother to taste it.  
**Tony**: Guess that's more for Russell to take to the homeless shelter.  
**Ebony**: I guess. Who's next?  
**Tony**: The high school student at table ten, and the family of five at table twelve.  
**Ebony**: I though that was Joe's table.  
**Tony**: It was…

The sounds of puking can be heard in the back alley.

**Tony**: Until about three minutes ago.  
**Ebony** (sighs): You have to ask yourself why people keep coming to a restaurant where half the staff is losing their lunch?  
**Tony**: If you can answer that then you can answer why McDonalds managed to stay open for so long.  
**Ebony**: It's because of all the mind-altering drugs they slip in those chemically processed burgers.

Tony laughs. At that moment Shana, another waitress dressed like Catwoman, runs into the kitchen. Shana is a blonde-haired, ninteen-year old college student working to pay her tuition. It's not the worst job she's had, but it's certainly not the best paying. She's looking quite flustered.

**Shana**: You guys, it's a madhouse out there. Where are Joe and Jackson?  
**Tony**: Jackson just took the order for tables two, three, and eight.  
**Shana**: Well where's Joe?!

Ebony stick her finger in her mouth and makes a gag noise.

**Shana**: Not another one! Why didn't Mike just close for the day?  
**Ebony**: Calm down. Here, I'll take the next order. What's next, Tony?  
**Tony**: Besides ten and twelve? Four, thirteen, six, seven, and twenty.  
**Ebony** (sighs): Looks like I picked the wrong day to quit steroids.

Ebony begins to load up the trays and start to rush out into the dining area. She run's past to twelve, seven, six, and twenty and delivers the food to the impatient customers, somewhat dripping some of the food off the tray.

(I feel like I'm running a marathon)

Ebony accidentally bump into a woman and make her spill her drink on what has to be the ugliest dog she's ever seen.

**Woman**: Hey!  
**Ebony**: Sorry!

The dog begins to bark at Ebony.

**Woman**: You got Jingle Bell's fur all messed up.

(Jingle Bell? Why didn't she just name it Rosie O'Donnell instead? It's a dead ringer)

**Ebony**: Terribly sorry. Shorthanded, out with flu, you get the gist. Oh, and we don't let pets in here.  
**Woman**: Jingle Bell isn't _just_ a dog.  
**Ebony**: That's a dog?!  
**Woman**: What did you think he is?  
**Ebony**: I can't say in polite company.

The woman begins starts to scold her while she runs back to the kitchen. Shana must've taken the other food. Tony hands her the food for table ten, a cup of tea.

**Ebony**: This is it? There _is_ a God.

That's when the ground began to rumble and shake. Dishes, cups, and silverware fall to the floor. Ebony spills the cup of tea all over herself but she doesn't have time to notice how hot it is. People start screaming in the dining area. Parents holding on to their kids, people trying to squeeze out of the doorway, it's like _Titanic._

**Shana**: What the hell is going on?!

(I already know the answer)

A huge hole is blasted through the dining room wall. Someone cry out "It's the End of the World!" Seven figures in bright costumes charge through and begin fighting one another, completely unaware of the people inside.

**Tony**: Aw crap! Metahumans!

Four of the figures that just entered Planet Krypton are known as the Creature Commandos, people mutated into horrible freaks by radiation. The other three are Nightstar, Manotaur, and Trix. The leader of the Commandos, Major Frankenstein, fires an electrical charge, from two battery packs sticking out of his shoulders, at Manotaur which sends him through the bathroom. Trix deals with two who resemble the Wolf Man and a two-headed version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, while Nightstar dukes out with Eyesore, who is completely covered in additional eyes which can fire energy blasts.

Ebony loses sight of Tony and Shana. She raises her hands to shield herself from the blasts and starts to make a run for the door. Then she notices a little girl amidst the rubble. Her parents must've left her in the confusion. She is about to be crushed by Major Frankenstein. Ebony runs out and grabs her out of the way. Frankenstein does a nose dive into the Justice League display case along with Trix. The little girl is crying and bleeding from a wound on her forehead.

**Little Girl**: I wan' my mommy!  
**Ebony**: I know, honey! Just keep your head down!

(I hold the girl in my arms and shield her from any damage, then run out with her. I'm careful to dodge any energy blasts or oncoming projectiles. I hear my Shade costume get ripped when it snags on a broken table. By the time I get out of there and across the street one call already hear the police sirens when the place explodes. Someone must've hit the gas mains!)

**Ebony**: Shana! Tony!

(The only figures that come out of the burning heap are the metahumans. It's like they're just playing through. No. They _are_ playing through. Every fight they have is just a game to them. They act like the entire world is just a big playground, regardless of the other people in it. Who would question them? When they have so much power at their disposal. Despite the sounds of the fire engines and people yelling, all I can hear is the little girl in my arms crying her eyes out and asking for her parents, along with the sound of my own thoughts. To most people, it would seem like the end of civilization. To me, this is Tuesday)

_A Few Hours Later_

Inside a darkened studio. The lights suddenly flash on to reveal an elaborately decorated news room. We hear equipment being turned on, people running around and getting ready. All the computers in the studio run on the same network, KageOS2. All of the staff is made up of teenage girls with obscured faces. Behind the news desk are five girls. One has two short pigtails that stick up. The second has her hair tied back. The third wears her hair in a ponytail. The fourth has her hair done up in what appears to be a TV antennae, and the fifth has lightning bolts sticking out of her hair. The camera-girl begins to signal them as they are about to go on air. Three, two, one…

**A-Ko**: Hi all of you out there in TV Land! It's your five favorite girls, A-Ko!  
**B-Ko**: B-Ko!  
**C-Ko**: C-Ko!  
**E-Ko**: E-Ko!  
**F-Ko**: And F-Ko!  
**E-Ko**: Here at Channel Seven!  
**F-Ko**: Bringing you…  
**Together**: The Eight O'clock News!  
**A-Ko**: We thought we were out of work when the Big Bosses canceled us. Luckily…  
**B-Ko**: We were picked up at another station, here at SKU News, telling you, that's right, _you_, about everything going on in the world.  
**C-Ko**: And not just news. We've got…  
**F-Ko** (holding an umbrella in a rainstorm): Weather…  
**E-Ko** (in a director's chair labeled "E-Ko"): Movies…  
**A-Ko** (To B-Ko's ear): Gossip…  
**B-Ko** (In a fine dress doing a twirl): Culture…  
**C-Ko** (In a monkey cage): And monkeys!

The other four stare at C-Ko, whose just jumped up on the news desk with her arms spread out wide.

**A-Ko**: You've got problems.

C-Ko falls off the desk and on her butt.

**B-Ko**: Way to state the obvious.  
**E-Ko**: Anyway, for our first story, a local eating establishment in downtown Metropolis, Planet Krypton, burned to the ground when a metahuman fight that started up near the Daily Planet progressed further down the city. The seven metahumans in question, Nightstar, Trix, Manotaur, and the Creature Commandos continued their battle down to the Metropolis Harbor, where the Creature Commandos were then apprehended by a S.W.A.T. team, but the other three had already left the scene. Unfortunately, the number of casualties for today's fight was a startling 34.

The number 34 pops up on a screen behind E-Ko, big and **bold**.

**F-Ko**: Earlier in the day, we sent one of our reporters live on the scene of the burning wreckage, to interview those who actually managed to get out in time.

F-Ko picks up a videotape and pops it into a VCR, then turns it on

**F-Ko**: Here, we, go!

A second screen, filled with static, pops up behind F-Ko. It then displays footage of the still smoking wreckage of what was once Planet Krypton. In the footage, there are paramedics tending to the wounded, firefighters spraying whatever burning wreckage is left, then chopping it up with axes. The police are getting statements from passersby, and C-Ko is standing in the center of the screen with a microphone, her face covered with a swirling rose symbol.

**C-Ko** (Footage): I'm here live at what was once Planet Krypton, the second in a just-starting chain of dining establishments in Metropolis, run by former Justice Leaguer Michael Carter, a.k.a. Booster Gold.  
**A-Ko**: You know, I once heard a rumor that he used to be married to this rich old lady who'd make him dress up like Wonder Woman! _tee hee_!  
**E-Ko**: Shh!  
**C-Ko** (Footage): As you can see behind me, this burning heap is all that is left from a vicious and unforeseen rampage brought on by the seven metahumans.  
**Police Officer** (Footage): Hey, who's that girl?  
**Paramedic** (Footage): And what the hell happened to her face?

C-Ko turns to the paramedic and the officer, who look as if they're about to throw up after looking at her face, still obscured by the rose symbol.

**C-Ko** (Footage): Excuse me, Mr. Police Man, but can you tell our audience out there how bad the damage is?  
**Police Officer** (Face a ghastly green/Footage): It's, uh, well, it's hard to say. We've discovered the bodies of most of the people who were in the diner at the time. From what we've been told, most of the staff was out sick today with the, the flu, so we could only find the bodies of some of the staff, including one Shana Cavanaugh, age 23, and one Tony Rodriquez, age 28. So far we're still checking for the bodies of anyone _forces back his gag reflex_ else.  
**C-Ko** (Footage): Are you okay?  
**Police Officer** (Footage): Yeah, I'm fine.  
**C-Ko** (Footage): So how many managed to get out in time before the gas lines ignited?  
**Police Officer** (Footage): A couple of families, a high school student, a young child, and an employee. We're currently trying to find the child's parents, but judging from how quickly the place ignited chances are slim.

The paramedic in the footage bends over what used to be a model Batplane and throws up.

**A-Ko**: How awful!  
**F-Ko**: How could something like this happen?  
**E-Ko**: That's what happens when you let people with too much power run wild like that.  
**B-Ko**: We now show you footage of our interviews with the survivors of the incident.

The screen shows a man holding his wife, who is obviously in shock, and their two children hiding behind his legs and crying loudly.

**C-Ko** (Footage): Sir, can you give us your opinion about what just happened here?  
**Man** (Footage): I've lived in Metropolis all my life, and when I was a kid we had real heroes who stopped stuff like this from happening. And now we've got these super powered maniacs running around, and no one does anything to stop them. Look at my family. For ten years we've been afraid to leave our homes during the day because something like this could happen. My kids have been home schooled all their lives and my wife spends all her time at home. This was the first time we ever went to eat together and look what happens!

Next, C-Ko interviews a middle-aged mother, who is with her teenaged son, dressed in punk clothing, and a baby in a harness on her chest.

**Mother** (Footage): Think of the children!  
**C-Ko** (Footage): Yes. What about the children?

C-Ko points her microphone into the teenager's face.

**C-Ko** (Footage): Young man, what would YOU like to tell the world about this awful tragedy?  
**Punk Teenager** (Footage): …eh.  
**C-Ko** (Footage): Obviously the trauma of what has just happened as left this boy unable to feel anything!

The mother starts to sob loudly and the teenager rolls his eyes. Next up is Ebony, who has some cuts on her face and is still wearing the ripped Shade jacket, and is looking very pissed.

**C-Ko** (Footage): What is your opinion on this awful acci-  
**Ebony** (Footage): Get that _BLEEP_ camera out of my face!  
**A-Ko**: Huh? What'd she say?  
**C-Ko**: I don't know, I couldn't hear her over the bleep.

C-Ko then turns her microphone over to the high school girl, who is completely unharmed.

**C-Ko** (Footage): And finally, what is your opinion on what has occurred, miss?  
**High School Girl** (Footage): Oh I'm just glad that some people were able to get out of there at all.  
**C-Ko** (Footage): Hey, don't I-

The screen goes to static.

**E-Ko**: Was that all you were able to record?  
**C-Ko**: Yes. Unfortunately I couldn't find any blank tapes, so I borrowed one of B-Ko's! You know, the one she keeps in her room by her computer. But there wasn't that much film.  
**B-Ko**: You used _that_ tape?! I was making that video for my acting resume!  
**A-Ko**: Well you can't blame her, you never label your things.  
**B-Ko**: So? Just because a video tape _looks_ blank, that doesn't mean it is.  
**Ebony**: It's true what they say. The camera really does add on ten pounds.

We are now inside Ebony's apartment. She is watching SKU News from her living room on a black leather couch. She's changed out of her work clothes, and is now wearing black tights and a long t-shirt which reads "Polly Polly Tinker Boy". Her small cuts have anti-infection balm smoothed over them, and her hair has been brushed. The apartment is small, with only a living room/kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. On her coffee table in front of the couch there is a vase of black orchids, which seem to be wilting, along with a phone and answering machine. There is a bookcase lined with the works of William Shakespeare, encyclopedias on super-heroics, two volumes of _Tomorrow Stories_ by Alan Moore, and some movies. Spread on the coffee table is an open copy of _Hamlet_, a DVD of _Diary of a Mad Black Woman_, and some job-ads cut out of newspapers. The kitchen contains an oven, a refrigerator, a white sink, some cupboards, and a dishwasher. The bedroom merely has a bed with red covers and two pillows, and a wooden drawer which contains her cloths, and a locked closet. The bathroom only has a toilet, a bathtub, and a medicine cabinet with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a first-aid kit, and bandages.

(The world really is an awful place. How did mankind get to this point, I keep asking myself? You'd probably want to know, anyway, so I'll tell you. This happened before I was born, but the world used to have real superheroes. Not just ones with power. People with amazing skills who wanted to help mankind from bizarre men and women who wanted to destroy it. And the greatest out of all of them was Superman. He used to live here in Metropolis. He could run faster then a speeding bullet, or jump over a building in a single bound. He was amazing. Everyone looked up to him. And then it happened. One day, a few years ago, when I was a little girl, a mass murdering clown who called himself the Joker killed ninety three people in the Daily Planet. Ninety two men and only one woman. Take a guess who. Go on. The police apprehended him, but that was when a new "hero" who called himself Magog did what Superman, or any other sane person, would never do. He blew a hole right through the Joker's chest, obliterating his heart. People used to say they were surprised the Joker even _had_ a heart. At his trial, Superman gave a passionate, and might I say well executed speech on how it is wrong to take a life. But Magog was acquitted, and in a public survey, he was voted the new Man of Tomorrow. Superman, in shame, retreated from the public, and Magog took his place as personal savior to the public. Smart move. Since then, every superhe-no, I can't use that term to describe what these people are, if they can be called people. They followed Magog's example of ultra brutality and have dedicated themselves to that cause. They don't care about the public's safety. Every day they cause more and more damage in their battles. Wives become widows. Children become orphans. Just like that little girl today. They never did find her parents. At least I could get her out, but I should've done more. And now Shana and Tony and countless others are dead. What an awful, awful world)

The clock on her wall begins to chime. Nine O'clock. Nine O'clock. Nine O'clock.

(Is it Nine already?)

**Ebony**: Well, time to go to work.

(It really is an awful world. But I do my part to try and help it)

Ebony gets up off her couch and stretches for a minute. She then turns the TV off and heads into her bedroom. She stands in front of the locked closet door, then slams her fist onto a part of the wall that comes loose and falls onto the floor. A secret compartment. She takes out a little silver key and slips it into the lock. She opens the door, then turns on a light. Inside there is a black suit and gloves on a rack and a mouth-less black mask with two eyeholes cut out. Below them are a pair of lace-up boots that are worn and old. On the wall in front of them is a mirror that covers the entire wall. The only other thing in the room is a picture frame, hanging on the bare, wooden wall. The picture contains Ebony, fifteen, and beside her is a beautiful woman with lavender skin, hair, and eyes. The two are smiling and holding one another in a sunlit embrace.

(Everyone has their secrets. This is mine)

Ebony walks up to the mirror, her eyes staring straight ahead at her own reflection, and piercing back at her. She then slowly undresses herself. She removes the shirt and the tights, until only her bra and her underwear remain. Her body is perfect for that of a seventeen year-old with her jet black hair and her eyes. All except for one thing. The jagged, X-shaped scar that runs across her stomach. She places her right hand on her stomach, on the scar, and she remembers.

**Ebony**: Suzy.

(I hope you don't hate me, wherever you are, for what I do, Suzy. But even if you do hate me, fine. I still love you. I always will love you. I love you for giving me a second chance. And I won't stop until I know that this world is fixed)

She begins to suit up.

(This is all I keep here. My suit. My mirror. And my picture)

She fits her legs into the pants.

(I ask myself if what I do makes me a hypocrite)

Next she fits into the sleeves.

(I can act just as bad as they can)

Buttons the collar.

(But I don't fight for the sake of it)

Laces up the boots.

(I fight because there are people who do bad things)

Puts on the gloves.

(Horrible things)

Puts on the mask.

(And I want them to pay)

She stares back at her reflection now. Clad in a black suit, she's ready to head out into the night and act as a personal tool for justice in a world where the word "hero" disappeared from the dictionary. Her reflection is like that of a regal queen all dressed in black as if going to mourn. Maybe what she does can stop the pain of what she's gone through. Maybe it will cause more. Maybe it'll help her get rid of her masks. But she'll do what she has to.

(This world needs justice. And I will make sure that it gets the right kind. Or so help me I'll die trying)

_The Kitty-Kat Club, Suicide Slum_

(The Kitty-Kat Club, a disreputable club run by "respectable businessman" Bruno Mannheim. But my focus isn't on him. The focus is on the nervous man watching Miss Sugar Bell doing her pole dance. Devon Whittney, who also goes by "Dust". Devon has no job. He makes his income selling drugs to teenage girls. Dust is the nickname he decided to give himself when he hooked up with his new crew, thinking it sounded cool. It's not. Devon has a secret. And he thinks no one knows it. For the last week people have noticed how scared Devon looks, how tense)

**Miss Sugar Bell** (Spinning around a pole): You okay, hon?

(Even Miss Sugar Bell has noticed)

**Miss Sugar Bell** (Hanging upside down): You don't look so good.  
**Devon**: I-I'm fine.  
**Miss Sugar Bell**: You sure?  
**Devon**: I said I'm fine!

Miss Sugar Bell acts reproachful.

**Miss Sugar Bell**: Well, excuse me.

Devon, now angry, gets up out of his seat and storms out of the strip club, walking past Miss Tinny Tin Tin whipping Miss Mousey's ass as the japanese buisnessmen cheer on.

(There's my cue)

Devon begins walking down the darkened street. He's amazed at himself, since no one ever has the guts to walk down Suicide Slum by themselves, and without a gun. Or that could just make him stupid.

(He makes this too easy. Time to get him a little riled)

Ebony, in the shadows, up on a ledge overlooking Devon's movements, tosses a can into a dark alley. The sound of the can clattering against the ground startles Devon enough for him to jump out of his skin.

(Good, he's scared. Well, he was already scared to begin with, but still. Now to get him _really _scared)

Devon continues to head down towards his apartment, a very shoddy looking building in need of repairs. Ebony follows after him on the rooftops, looking down on him like he was vermin. She then starts to slowly whistle a tune from the film _Kill Bill_, Twisted Nerve, the tune Elle Diver whistled as she was about to kill the Bride while she was in a coma. Devon stops in his tracks as her whistling reaches his ears from atop the roof.

**Devon**: Who's there?

The whistling becomes louder.

**Devon**: Where are you?

The whistling becomes even louder.

**Devon**: Don't play games with me, who's there?!  
Ebony: _I_ am.

Ebony jumps down from the rooftops and lands behind Devon. He tries to run, only to receive a blow to head with her fist. Devon hits the ground like a sack of potatoes. Ebony begins to crack her knuckles.

**Ebony**: Now for his lesson.

_An Hour Later_

Devon is in a dark room. He begins to slowly stir out of his sleep. He shakes his head, then yells in pain when he remembers that he suffered a blow to the head. He tries to raise his hand to his head to soothe the pain, but he can't. He looks down, he sees that his hands, chest, and legs have been strapped down to a chair.

**Devon**: What the hell is this?!  
**Ebony**: You're awake. Good.

Ebony steps out of the shadows, the only part of her not concealed is her eyes as her hair and her outfit have blended into the shadows

**Ebony**: You caught me on a good night. A drunk football player, a couple of gang bangers, and _you_, the highlight of the evning.  
**Devon**: Who the hell are you?  
**Ebony**: _That_ is on a need to know basis, and you _don't_ need to know. But you can just call me X if you want, it doesn't matter.  
**Devon**: What the hell kind of a name is X?  
**Ebony**: It's not a name. It's a… title.  
**Devon**: What the hell am I doing here?  
**Ebony**: Devon Whittney. Twenty-seven. Caucasian. Goes by the name "Dust". Lives in Suicide Slum. Likes drugs and women with big breasts.  
**Devon**: What, you some kind of crazy stalker chick?

(He likes to talk. Good. I like to talk as well)

**Ebony**: In a way. My job is dealing with crap like you. Tell me, Devon, do you remember Cynthia Ackerman?  
**Devon**: Who?  
**Ebony**: Cynthia Ackerman. She _used_ to be a normal teenaged girl. She had friends, a boyfriend, loving parents, did well in school. She had her whole life set in front of her. Until two years ago when she met you, Devon. Coming back yet?  
**Devon**: Doesn't ring a bell.  
**Ebony**: They say memory's the first thing to go. That's what happens when you spend twelve years of your life sniffing crack with a razor.  
**Devon**: Bitch!  
**Ebony**: Where was I? Oh, yes. You see, Devon, Cynthia and her friends had taken a trip up to Metropolis one day during Spring Break, and while wandering around she met you, peddling all kinds of "goods" in an alley. She said no the first time, but you just kept pestering her until she finally tried it. That was all it took. Soon she couldn't last five minutes without your merchandise. When she ran out of money she started pawning her stuff. When that didn't work she stole from her friends and parents. Her grades dropped, her boyfriend left her, and then her parents kicked her out. She made her way back to Metropolis where she started living on the streets for the next two years of her life. In order to pay for her addiction, she turned to prostitution. Then about a few months ago, someone found Cynthia, who was just beaten up by one of her "clients" in a back alley. The person who found her, as well as some other concerned citizens, brought Cynthia to a homeless shelter at Mary Help of Christians Church. The people who ran the shelter helped make sure Cynthia kicked her habit. That's when you come back into the story, Devon. Two weeks ago, business was slow, your boss was breathing down your neck. You needed to push your merchandise. Fast. And you remembered Cynthia, who would buy anything you offered her. You talked to one of the prostitutes with whom she used to hang out with, and you tracked her down to Mary Help of Christians. Now this is when the story _really_ gets interesting, Devon. I don't know what happened personally, but from what I've been told, Cynthia wouldn't buy anything from you this time. She kept saying no, and she meant it, and you got mad. And pushed her out of a third story window.  
**Devon**: I-I had nothin' to do with that. You can't prove anything!  
**Ebony**: Sister Natalie can.

Devon's face turns pale. Then he starts to laugh a little.

**Devon**: She can't say anything. She's dead!

(Got him)

**Ebony**: No, but you tried your hardest to make sure she was.  
**Devon** (Weakly): What?  
**Ebony**: She heard you that night, Devon. Oh why do I have to remind you? That's why you shot her. She saw the whole thing. She saw you push Cynthia out that window, and when she said she was getting the police, you shot her in the arm, you shoved her to the floor, and you beat her down like a dog, you piece of shit! You thought she was dead, and that's what everyone else thought, until the paramedics managed to get her heart beating again on the way to the hospital. She just woke up two days ago. She didn't know your name, but she gave me enough info to go by. That's how I found you at the Kitty Kat Club yesterday night. You've been acting tense since then because you were afraid someone knew. You were right to be. I followed you to your crappy apartment and memorized the address and apartment number, if need be. I also talked to one of your favorite dancers at the KK Club, Miss Tabby, and she mentioned told me about your "business". And that's how we got to this point.  
**Devon**: What, you gonna kill me now?  
**Ebony**: I don't kill people, Devon. It isn't what I want. What I want is for you to admit the whole thing to the police, along with the names of everyone you and your "co-workers" have ever sold drugs to.  
**Devon**: You're crazy, you know that? You are fuckin' crazy!  
**Ebony**: I'm not crazy, Devon. I'm mad. And if I were you, I'd analyze your situation. You're strapped to a chair in an abandoned building, at the mercy of someone who isn't your biggest fan. No one knows you're here, and this building is scheduled for demolition in two days.  
**Devon**: Do you have any idea what my gang'll do to me if I squeal?!  
**Ebony**: The police can grant you immunity and put you in the witness relocation program, as undeserving as you are. And besides, you should be more worried about what _I'm_ going to do to you if you don't give me answers.  
**Devon**: You just said you weren't gonna kill me.  
**Ebony**: Yes…

(It's obvious I might have to use unconventional means right now)

Ebony proceeds to pick up a lead pipe

**Ebony**: …But I never said I wasn't going to try. Tell me something, do you know how many tiny, breakable bones are in the human body, Devon?  
**Devon** (Nervous): No.  
**Ebony**: Let's find out, shall we?

Ebony slam the pipe down on Devon's right hand. His screams echo out through the building and he starts to curse her out.

**Ebony**: That's twenty-seven.  
**Devon**: Fuck you!

Ebony slams the pipe on Devon's left hand.

**Ebony**: And that's fifty-two. I have to warn you, Devon, once I'm done with the arms, I use my other learning aid.

Ebony drops the pipe and picks an aluminum baseball bat.

(I hear my conscience in the back of my head telling me that what I'm doing is wrong. I almost give in, but then I remember when we found Cynthia near that dumpster. I remember going to see Sister Natalie at the hospital once I heard the news. And then I imagine everyone else whose lives were destroyed because of Devon's drugs. Granted, he isn't evil, he's an idiot. A weak idiot. I hate him, but at the same time I pity him, and begin to wonder what it was that got him addicted to drugs as well)

At the sight of the bat he begins to tell Ebony everything he knows. She take out a tape recorder and has him recite a list of every person he has ever sold drugs to, along with a list of his co-workers, and a confession. That's not all Ebony asks.

**Ebony**: Devon, who got _you_ addicted?  
**Devon**: You gonna break my teeth if I don't answer?  
**Ebony** (Coldly): Do you _want_ me to?  
**Devon**: A-A friend of mine, when I was in high school.

Ebony take out a roll of bandages and gauze and start to wrap up Devon's hands.

**Ebony**: Where is this "friend" of yours now?  
**Devon**: Dead. Overdose three years ago.  
**Ebony**: Devon, I'm taking you to the police. You won't mention me, and you'll tell them that you were in a bar fight and tried to bandage your hands yourself.

(Not the best excuse, but all I could think of at the moment)

**Devon**: They supposed to buy that?  
**Ebony**: You've got a better one?  
**Devon**: …No.  
**Ebony**: Then you'll be using that one. Is that understood?  
**Devon**: Yes.

Ebony puts the tape in Devon's shirt pocket.

**Ebony**: You'll give them this tape and you will accept whatever punishment the courts give you. You do what I tell you and you never have to worry about me again. But…

Ebony gets right into his face, her eyes narrowed.

**Ebony**: If I find out that you've tried _anything_ funny after this night, I'm going to make sure you will never have peace of mind for the rest of your life.

She lets him out of the chair, then put a blindfold around his eyes. She leads him out into her car, the pipe aimed at his back, and drives him down a block away from the 42nd Street Police Station)

**Ebony**: I'm taking off the blindfold.

Ebony takes off the blindfold and then opens the passenger door.

**Ebony**: Get out.

Devon gets out.

**Ebony**: And Devon, I just want you to know I didn't enjoy what I did.  
**Devon**: Sounded like it.  
**Ebony**: Just remember. Anything funny, and I'll be on you faster then flies on Britney Spears!

Ebony drives off, leaving Devon in the dust. From her rearview mirror she sees him walking into the police station. Ebony then parks the car in front of a vacant lot and proceeds to change out of her outfit and mask. She puts on a long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, then she replaces the boots with a pair of sneakers. She then puts her outfit, and the pipe, in a duffel bag and heads out. She walks back to her apartment, past the 42nd Street Police Headquarters. Through one of the windows she sees Devon and a police officer, who has the tape in his hand. Devon then has handcuffs placed on his wrist and is led out of view.

(At least now Cynthia Ackerman can rest in peace)

Ebony walks over to a payphone and calls St. Luccia's General Hospital. She reaches through to Sister Natalie's room

**Sister Natalie** (Weakly): Hello?  
**Ebony**: Sister Natalie? Do you remember me? My voice I mean. This is the girl who came to see you a few days ago. I called to tell you that Devon Whittney confessed to killing Cynthia Ackerman and to your assault.  
**Sister Natalie** (Still Weak): He did? Why?  
**Ebony**: He had a change of heart. Good-bye, Sister Natalie.  
**Sister Natalie**: Wait-

Ebony hangs up the payphone.

**Ebony**: He confessed. And I still feel like garbage for what I did.

Ebony proceeds to head back to her apartment. By the time she's at the front door, she notices what time it is. One O'clock)

**Ebony**: Slow night. I need a shower and some sleep.

That's when Ebony notices there is a girl standing at the corner of the hall.

(Who's that? And at this hour?)

That's when Ebony recognizes her.

(That high school student from the restaurant! She got out before the place blew up, but what is she doing here?)

**High School Girl**: Excuse me?  
**Ebony**: Yes? Can I help you?  
**High School Girl**: You're that waitress from Planet Krypton, aren't you? The one who saved that little girl?  
**Ebony**: Um, yes, I'm her, I mean, I am.  
**High School Girl**: Oh good. I was hoping I could find you.  
**Ebony**: What are you doing out at this hour? Do your parents know you're here?  
**High School Girl**: My parents aren't really around that much to notice.  
**Ebony**: I'm sorry.  
**High School Girl**: Don't be.  
**Ebony**: …So what is it I can help you with?  
**High School Girl**: I just wanted to tell you that I think you are a really brave person.

(What?)

**Ebony**: You wanted to tell me that?  
**High School Girl**: Yes. The way you saved that little girl from being hurt. Not everyone would've done something like that. You must be a really good person.  
**Ebony**: I'm not that great a person. I just did what anyone else would've.  
**High School Girl**: Oh not true. I was already out before I saw you coming out with her. I didn't even notice her. You were the only one who did. You could've been killed yourself. Instead, you risked your life to save someone else from being killed. That makes you a good person.  
**Ebony**: Your…you are very kind to say that. But you give me too much-huh?

(I notice that she has a large cut on her right arm)

**Ebony**: You're hurt!

Ebony quickly take out a handkerchief and begin to wrap it around her arm.

**High School Girl**: Oh it doesn't hurt that much.  
**Ebony**: Have you been walking around with that cut all day? It could get infected, you need to see a doctor. Did you get it in the blast?  
**High School Girl**: Yes.  
**Ebony**: Well why didn't you say anything to one of the paramedics, silly?  
**High School Girl**: Because I wasn't in school today, and I didn't want to get in trouble if they found out. They could've told my parents.  
**Ebony**: But you were on TV. Your parents must've-  
**High School Girl**: My family doesn't watch TV. I'm sorry.  
**Ebony**: Well, look, you'll be a lot more sorry if you don't have someone take a look at that thing. You might need stitches.  
**High School Girl**: Okay.  
**Ebony**: Do you need a ride to the hospital?  
**High School Girl**: No, I have a car.

She turns around and starts to walk down the hall.

**Ebony**: Oh, I didn't even ask how did you find out where I live?  
**High School Girl**: I called your manager. He was out with the flu and he was able to tell me where you live.  
**Ebony**: Well, what's your name?  
**High School Girl**: Oh, it's BLEEEEEP.  
**Ebony**: Well, it was nice to meet you, BLEEEEEP. Night.  
**High School Girl**: Good night.

Ebony walks into her apartment. She shuts the door behind her and just leans on it for a minute

(I can't believe she called me a good person. If only she knew)

Ebony puts away her outfit and the pipe in the closet and relocks it. She then puts the key back in it's hiding place and takes a shower. All the while, she has her right hand on her scar as the hot water pours onto her body, and she's thinking about what she accomplished today. She puts back in the clothes she wore before she left, and gets into bed. The lights are out, and she rests her head on the pillows.

**Ebony**: Goodnight, Suzy.

Her day has ended and now, she sleeps.

_Meanwhile…_

The High School Girl is talking to someone on a payphone outside of Ebony's apartment building.

**Voice on the Phone**: Will she do it?  
**High School Girl**: I think so. She's vulnerable.  
**Voice on the Phone**: Then we'll just wait until tomorrow. Until then, come home.  
**High School Girl**: Okay then.  
**Voice on the Phone**: I love you.  
**High School Girl**: I love you too.  
**Voice on the Phone**: Of course you do.

The High School Girl hangs up the phone and gets into her car, a red convertible. She starts the engine, and drives off into a tunnel.

_The Next Day_

Ebony stirs in her bed as sunlight streams through her window. The clock on the bed reads 12:36 pm. She slowly awakens, then raises her hands to wipe away the sand from her eyes. She stretches her arms and yawns, then gets out of bed and heads into the kitchen.

(I better get going, I slept through lunch time)

Ebony puts on a pair of black pants and a T-Shirt that reads "Dark as Morning". She microwaves some coffee and then takes out an apple from her refrigerator. When the coffee is ready, she plops down on her couch and turns on her TV, to another broadcast of SKU News.

**Ebony**: I've got to start looking for another job before I go broke. Oh!

Ebony notices the orchids on the coffee table have wilted.

**Ebony**: I'll have to change those.  
**F-Ko**: …now we bring to you the part of the afternoon where we talk about the next great film to appear on the silver screen. E-Ko?  
**E-Ko**: Thank you, F-Ko. Today, I'm here to talk to all of you out there about the upcoming epic _The Invisible Kingdom_, based on the novel _Together at Last_ by Charlotte Setsam, or C.S. as her fans call her. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the film last week at a secret screening in Hollywood, California.  
**F-Ko**: Ah, Hollywood! If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.  
**E-Ko**: Don't we know it.

The two laugh.

**F-Ko**: So, what was the film about?  
**E-Ko**: It tells the story of a kingdom made up of thieves, murderers, and rogues. One day, a wizard came and turned it invisible. Not only that, but he cast a spell so no one may ever leave it. A few years later, the princess Rapunzel is saved from the-  
**F-Ko**: Hold on. What is Rapunzel doing in this story?  
**E-Ko**: Oh, I forgot to mention. Ms. Setsam's works are famous for using already existing fairy tale characters, such as Cinderella, Snow White, or in this case, Rapunzel.  
**F-Ko**: I see.  
**E-Ko**: One day, the princess Rapunzel is saved by a queen from the witch who held her in captivity since she was a baby. But the queen died, and Rapunzel was trapped in the Invisible Kingdom.  
**F-Ko**: How awful, to be kept prisoner in a place like that.  
**E-Ko**: Rapunzel then decided that she would-  
**C-Ko**: Extra! Extra!  
**E-Ko**: Huh?

E-Ko is handed a memo from C-Ko, who is off-screen.

**E-Ko**: What's this?

E-Ko begins to read the memo. When she is done, she gasps loudly. Her hair stand on end and her antennae spins.

**E-Ko**: This is awful!  
**F-Ko**: What does it say?  
**E-Ko**: We now bring you live, via helicopter, to what was once known as Kansas, U.S.A.!  
**F-Ko**: What did you say?  
**Ebony**: What's going on?

The screen cuts to the inside of a helicopter being piloted by A-Ko, while B-Ko looks down on a nuclear wasteland.

**B-Ko**: I'm reporting live up in Kansas airspace in a lead-lined helicopter. This isn't a joke people! What you see below me…

The camera zooms down onto the ground below, littered with dead people, plants, animals, and destroyed buildings.

**B-Ko**: Is Kansas!

The screen splits in two, showing the live footage on the left, and E-Ko, F-Ko, and C-Ko back at the studio.

**E-Ko**: How could this have happened?!  
**F-Ko**: Is there anyone who survived?!  
**B-Ko**: No! According to my reports, every living thing in this state has been killed by radiation poisoning!  
**E-Ko**: That's almost a million people!  
**F-Ko**: Do we have any footage of what caused this?

Both screens disappear to show footage borrowed from another station. The screen shows Magog and his Justice Battalion, consisting of Judomaster, Peacemaker, Nightshade, Thunderbolt, Captain Atom, and Alloy ganging up on the considerably older Parasite.

**B-Ko**: It started earlier today in a Kansas wheat field, when the aged villain known as the Parasite was cornered by Magog and his Justice Battalion. Despite the Parasite's pleas for mercy, Magog and the others attacked him and engaged in a battle, which ended when the Parasite _split open_ Captain Atom!

The footage shows Parasite digging both hands into Captain Atom's metallic shell and ripping it open. As Captain Atom screams an inaudible scream, a great flash of yellow light fills the screen, which then goes to static. It then cuts back to the two screens.

**E-Ko**: B-Ko, can you described to us what it's like for those of you out there who are listening on the radio?  
**B-Ko**: It's, it's horrible! It's like Hiroshima on the day they dropped the bomb! Closer inspection of those who were closer to the detonation point can see their outlines burned into the ground! I think I might be sick.  
**A-Ko**: Hey, if you're going to throw up, don't do it here!  
**B-Ko**: Don't you feel horrible about what just happened?  
**A-Ko**: Of course I do, I'm trying my best not to be sick as well, because I'm the one flying this helicopter.  
**B-Ko**: Hey, when did you get a license to pilot a helicopter?  
**A-Ko**: Huh? You need a license?  
**E-Ko**: Uh, guys? You're, uh, getting off-track here.  
**B-Ko**: Of course you need a license to pilot a helicopter! You're breaking the law.  
**A-Ko**: Fine! Why don't _you_ pilot it then?  
**B-Ko**: I don't know how to fly a helicopter!

The two start to argue and the screen of the right fills the entire screen once again.

**E-Ko**: Okay… while those two settle their differences, we urge all of you out there to lend your support in this time of crisis as we ask ourselves, "where have our heroes gone?"  
**Ebony**: What's the point?

Ebony begins to tighten her grip on the mug. She then gets off the couch. The look on her face is one of rage and fury

**Ebony**: What's the goddamn point?!

She tosses the mug at the TV. Both break.

**Ebony**: What is the point in even thinking you could change anything about this world?! You try to do good. You try to get justice for those who need it, and for those who deserve it. And what happens? Some asshole decides to raise the bar on how far they get to go when it comes to ruining it for the rest of us! Who's going to avenge all those people who died? And what did they die for? Because someone didn't understand the meaning of the words "I give up". No matter what, you can't change anything. You can't change the world.

Ebony falls back on the couch, her eyes darting up at the ceiling, her rage replaced with sadness.

**Ebony**: I'm sorry, Suzy. I don't know what to do anymore. I tried to act like them to put away criminals, but now…I just don't know.

There's a knock at the door. Ebony is still on the couch. There's another knock at the door.

**High School Girl**: Hello? Is anyone there? It's me, BLEEEEEP.

Ebony rises up off the couch and unlocks her door. The High School Girl is standing in the doorway. She has a white bandage wrapped around her arm over the cut.

**Ebony**: Hello, BLEEEEEP. What do you want?  
**High School Girl**: I'm sorry, have I come at a bad time?  
**Ebony**: It doesn't matter anymore.  
**High School Girl**: Well, I came to give you back your handkerchief.

The High School Girl shows Ebony the handkerchief that she had given her the night before. It is clean and devoid of any blood.

**Ebony**: You didn't have to do that.  
**High School Girl**: Oh, but I wanted to. May I come in?  
**Ebony**: I guess.

The High School Girl steps into Ebony's apartment and takes a seat on her couch.

**High School Girl**: You have such a cute apartment. Oh! What happened to your TV?  
**Ebony**: I threw a mug at it.  
**High School Girl**: Why did you do that?  
**Ebony**: I couldn't find the remote. …Would you like something to drink?  
**High School Girl**: Tea would be fine.

Ebony prepares a mug of tea for the High School Girl, then sits next to her on the couch. The High School Girl takes the tea and smiles at Ebony. She sips the tea.

**Ebony**: Is it too hot?  
**High School Girl**: No, it's just perfect. What's wrong?  
**Ebony**: You honestly don't know?  
**High School Girl**: What?  
**Ebony**: They just said on the news, Kansas is gone.  
**High School Girl**: Gone?  
**Ebony**: Gone.  
**High School Girl**: That's terrible! All those poor people. What happened?  
**Ebony**: Magog happened.  
**High School Girl**: Who's Magog?  
**Ebony**: What do you mean "who's Magog?"?  
**High School Girl**: Who's Magog?

(Where has this girl been? Well, I shouldn't be surprised. She said she doesn't watch TV)

**Ebony**: You know, he's that guy who dresses up in armor. The public loves him. They call him the New Man of Tomorrow.  
**High School Girl**: The Golden Calf.  
**Ebony**: What?  
**High School Girl**: Nothing.

Ebony sighs and puts her face in her hands.

**High School Girl**: You must not like living here very much, then.  
**Ebony**: I hate it here.  
**High School Girl**: And you must feel like you're the only one who cares about how awful this world is.  
**Ebony**: Exactly. I feel like no matter what I do, or what anyone does, it won't matter. You can't change the facts of life. And the fact is that the powerful are Gods. They do whatever they want. The had a purpose, but they can't remember it.  
**High School Girl**: Or they won't.  
**Ebony**: Yes. I broke a man's hands last night to get him to confess to murdering someone. But what does that even compare to when over a million people are killed in a nuclear blast? Or when someone loses their family. And what does that make me? Just as bad as they are.  
**High School Girl**: At least you're able to admit it.  
**Ebony**: Maybe…  
**High School Girl**: Then I guess you have no choice then.  
**Ebony**: What do you mean?  
**High School Girl**: How would you feel if you were given the chance to revolutionize the world?  
**Ebony**: That's crazy.  
**High School Girl**: What if it wasn't? What if you were given the chance to fight for the power to change the entire world you live in? To bring back the idea of justice to the ones who were supposed to enforce it?  
**Ebony**: I think you should leave now.  
**High School Girl**: You didn't answer my question.  
**Ebony**: If I could?…I'd go for it.  
**High School Girl**: I'm glad you admit it.

The High School girl gets up off the couch and faces Ebony, who still looks confused. She reaches into her back pocket and takes out a small ring, bearing a pink rose crest. She puts the ring on Ebony's left hand.

**Ebony**: This ring…  
**High School Girl**: Qualifies you as a duelist to fight for the power to revolutionize the world. The power to bring justice to the world.  
**Ebony**: A duelist?  
**High School Girl**: You will fight against others who would want it for themselves. It is your duty to defeat them, lest they bring ruin.  
**Ebony**: Who ARE you?  
**High School Girl**: I'm just a normal high school girl who loves going to class and chasing boys. Goodbye…

The High School Girl walks out the door, but turns her head to Ebony.

**High School Girl**: Ebony Dent, age Seventeen. The path you must take has been prepared.

The High School Girl closes the door behind her. Ebony just stares at the ring for an unknown amount of time.

_Later in the Day_

At a nearby supermarket. Ebony is at a check-out aisle with a basket filled with fruits and vegetables, and a new mug. But all she is doing is staring at her new ring.

(The power to revolutionize the world. It sounds like something from a stupid anime. How could I have been so stupid? Why did I tell her all that?)

**Checkout Guy**: Miss, your basket?  
**Ebony**: Oh, yeah.

Ebony pushes the basket down the conveyor belt and the checkout guy starts to ring them up. There is a TV near the checkout counter that is still talking about the Kansas Disaster.

**F-Ko**: …oh, if you're just tuning in, we're still discussing the ramifications of the Kansas Disaster. Vigils have been set up all across America for the deceased, and relief is being sent to the states that have been hit by nuclear backlash from the blast.  
**Checkout Guy**: God, could you believe that?  
**Ebony**: No. I honestly can't. But that's what you get when you put someone like Magog on a pedestal.  
**Checkout Guy**: Not arguing with you there.  
**F-Ko**: But the blast isn't the only big news today. Today at the Metropolis Bridge, another metahuman battle broke out today between Mr. Terrific, Joker's Daughter, and N-I-L-8 against Swastika, Thunder, Trix, and Manotaur.

The footage on screen shows the first three metahumans fighting on top of a cable car, when the cable suddenly snaps from a renegade shot. But suddenly, a red and blue blur goes by the screen, and in almost a second, the cable car is on the bridge, and the six metahumans have been apprehended.

**Ebony**: No, it couldn't be…  
**F-Ko**: It is, Superman!

The screen shows Superman, older, and in a new outfit. His hair has started to turn white at the temples, and the yellow in his "S" has been replaced with black.

**F-Ko**: The Man of Steel has finally returned to the public after ten long years! Will he stick around to help clean up Magog's mess? And who will join him? More after this.

The screen cuts to a commercial for Wundabuds, flavored Q-Tips.

**Ebony**: Who does that bastard think he is?!  
**Checkout Guy**: Hey! Don't be calling the Man of Steel a bastard! He's saved this city more times then you can count.  
**Ebony**: Oh, yeah? Does that give him the right to just disappear for ten goddamn years and allow a maniac like Magog to pick up the slack?!

Ebony storms off without taking her stuff, or paying for it, for that matter. She heads back to her apartment and slams the door behind her.

**Ebony**: How could he… does he think that after the Kansas Disaster people are going to accept him again? Like he's the Messiah? It figures. Magog couldn't do the job, so he's taking it back.

(Why am I saying this? I hated Magog for the example he set, yet I'm cussing out Superman as well. And this stuff with the ring. I can't think straight)

**Ebony**: I need to lay down.

Ebony stops dead in her tracks when a strange scent suddenly hits her nose.

(Roses?)

Ebony looks down and sees that the orchids in the vase on the coffee table have been replaced with roses. Red roses. In front of the vase is a white envelope with a rose seal identical to the Rose Crest ring.

**Ebony**: How did these get here? Was someone in here while I was gone?

Ebony picks up the letter and opens it. She takes out the letter and begins to read it.

**Ebony**: What is this?

Letter:

_Dear Ebony Dent,  
__What you have before you are the Rules of Conduct of the Rose Seal. Heed them well.  
__1. A duel may only be conducted between those who bear the Rose Crest. No exceptions will be made.  
__2. Each duelist must use a sword in battle.  
__3. Each duelist is given a rose before the start of the duel. The object of the duel is to knock the rose from your opponent's chest.  
__4. Each duelist may or may not use a Rose Bride in battle. The choice is up to you.  
__5. __At__ the end of each duel, the loser's Rose Crest shall be destroyed, thus stripping them of their title as a duelist.  
__6. __If__ both duelists lose their rose at the same time, the duel shall be forfeited.  
__7. If a duelist dies, their Rose Crest shall turn black.  
__If any of the rules mentioned above are broken, or if my instructions are not met, the consequences will be dire. For you and everyone around you.  
__Your first duel shall begin a few minutes after you have finished reading this letter.  
__This is no joke.  
__Signed, __End of the World._

**Ebony**: "End of the World?"

Ebony picks up two of the roses from the vase and studies them for a minute.

**Ebony**: What have I gotten myself into?

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears the sound of people running out into the street.

**Ebony**: Now what?

She walks out of her apartment and down into the street, to see people are running down to the Metropolis Bridge. Ebony, still confused, grabs one of the people.

**Ebony**: What's happening?  
**Man**: Didn't you hear? There's some lunatic down at the Bridge screaming for "the girl with the rose ring". Superman and his new Justice League are down there now, but he's got a girl hostage! It's all over the news.  
**Ebony**: "Girl with the…"

(I've gotta get to the bridge)

A few minutes later, Ebony has made her way down to the bridge. The Metropolis Bridge is one of the biggest bridges in America, rivaling to the Golden Gate and the George Washington Bridge. Ebony can't see through the crowd, but she can hear yelling. Just then, a person is thrown into the water below, but she flies out of it and back to the top of the bridge. The bridge itself is devoid of any cars, trucks, or buses, as they have all been thrown into the water below. Ebony begins to make her way through the crowd, one of whom is Norman McCay and, invisible to everyone else, the Spectre, until she gets stopped by a policeman.

**Policeman**: Sorry, miss. Can't let you pass. It's too dangerous.  
**Ebony**: This is my fault, I'm the one he wants!

She shows him the ring. The Justice League, comprised of Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Power Woman, the Ray, Hawkman, and Red Robin. The lunatic in question is Uncle Sam, once the personification of patriotism at it's finest, now an insane old man in filthy clothes and a stained hat. He has in his hands a teenage girl with brown pigtails, and has a sword aimed at her throat.

**Uncle Sam**: Where is she? Where is she?! I told her to be here!  
**Superman**: Just calm down, Sam-  
**Uncle Sam**: Shut the hell up, you glorified watchdog!  
**Teenage Girl**: Do what he says! He's crazy!  
**Uncle Sam**: Shut up, you!

The teenage girl whimpers. Power Woman begins to crack her knuckles.

**Superman**: Not yet, Kara. Sam, you don't need to do this. Let the girl go.  
**Uncle Sam**: No, _you_ don't understand! I have the chance to be bigger then all of you ever were! And unless the one I want shows up this girl is dead, you hear me?! Dead!

A policeman walks up to Superman.

**Policeman**: Sir, there's a girl over here who claims to be the one this guy's screaming about.  
**Superman**: Can she prove it?  
**Ebony**: I can.

Ebony holds up her hand to Superman's face to show him the ring. She then walks past of all them, despite Superman telling her not too, and stands in front of Uncle Sam. He then lets the girl go, who runs into Ebony's arms.

**Teenage Girl** (Crying): He s-said he was going to k-kill me.  
**Ebony**: What's your name?  
**Teenage Girl**: Keiko Sonoda.  
**Ebony**: Listen, Keiko, go with those policemen over there and I'll take care of this guy. Okay?  
**Keiko** (Still crying): Thank you! Oh G-God, I thought I was gonna d-die!

Keiko runs off to the policemen.

**Uncle Sam**: You're her, aren't you? The one the letter spoke about.  
**Ebony**: You got one too?  
**Uncle Sam**: Heh. "Did I get one too?", that's rich.

He holds up his hand to show an identical Rose Crest.

**Ebony**: Where did you get that?  
**Uncle Sam**: Doesn't matter.  
**Ebony**: It matters to me. What do these people want with us?  
**Power Woman**: Do you have any idea what the hell they're talking about?  
**Superman**: No, but for now let's go along with it and see where it ends.  
**Red Robin**: And if she dies…?  
**Superman**: It won't come to that.  
**Power Woman**: We better hope not.  
**Ebony**: So what do we do now?  
**Uncle Sam**: We fight!  
**Ebony**: But I don't have a sword, and we don't have roses!  
**Uncle Sam**: What're those in your hands?

That's when she looks down, and she sees that she still has the two roses in her hand.

**Ebony**: Well I still don't have a sword!  
**Wonder Woman**: Here…

Ebony turns around to see that Wonder Woman is willing to hand her sword to her.

**Ebony**: Thank you, I think. Listen, I'll explain everything when this is over.  
**Wonder Woman**: You know how to use a sword, don't you?  
**Ebony**: Yes.  
**Wonder Woman**: Then Hera be with you, my sister.  
**Ebony**: Uh, you too.

Ebony then turns back to Sam, who is looking rather impatient. She then slowly walks up to him and hands him his rose.

(Ugh. He smells like bad liquor and… sewage? No, it's more like the inside of a cheap casino, or maybe…a Japanese internment camp? How did I think of that?)

**Ebony**: Your supposed to be the personification of this country, right?  
**Uncle Sam**: You can call it that if you want.  
**Ebony**: Then what I'm smelling, it's the scent of everything wrong with America.  
**Uncle Sam**: Call it what you want.

She turns around, but then he grabs her up close.

**Uncle Sam** (In her ear): Don't think I'm gonna lose to a "lesbo".

(How did-?!)

**Uncle Sam**: I know everything about everyone in this country. Especially you…X.  
**Ebony**: Do me a favor and go piss on a flag, why don't you?  
**Uncle Sam**: Let's just get this started. Go back over there and your rose on.

Ebony walks back to her corner near the Justice League, disgusted and shocked, and then proceeds to slowly put the rose in her breast pocket. She, and Sam, then ready themselves in a stance when, all of a sudden, every alarm in the city proceeds to go off. Every car alarm, every clock, every phone, every bell. People try to cover their eyes to try and block it out. Ebony winces in pain.

**Ebony**: What is that?!  
**Uncle Sam**: The sound of the bells start the duel!

He lunges at Ebony with his sword thrust out, aimed at her rose. She does dodge quick enough and he almost cuts her arm.

**Ebony**: What is wrong with you?! I wasn't ready!  
**Uncle Sam**: "When the bells ring, that is when you engage". That's what the letter said!  
**Ebony**: Yeah well I didn't get that part!

He doesn't listen and keeps trying to cut off her rose. The two begin the mad dance known as a duel, trying the cut the other's rose off. The bystanders look on in confusion and awe. Helicopters circle the bridge, their dueling field. One of them is SKU News.

**B-Ko**: I'm here at the Metropolis Bridge where a sword fight has just evolved from a hostage situation.  
**A-Ko**: Huh? Did you say a sword fight? Don't tell me we have to deal with THAT again.  
**B-Ko**: It figures. We try to get out…  
**A-Ko and B-Ko**: But they pull us right back in!

Uncle Sam's sword play is mad and frenzied. He has the look of a rabid dog on his face. Ebony using all her training, but she's more scared that he might kill her, like a fly caught in a spider web, then she is about her rose, but she still protects it, because a part of her wants that power, and part of her is worried about what'll happen if she loses.

**Uncle Sam**: I was the personification of the country! The soul of America! I did what was right for America, and how did they repay me?! I was tossed aside and forgotten like trash!

(He likes to talk. Good. I like to talk too)

**Ebony**: Is that why you-_dodges a swipe from his blade_-took that ring?! Because it-_dodges again_-meant taking your place among the heroes again?!  
**Uncle Sam**: Don't analyze me!

The two are now stuck in a stance, their swords entwined. Uncle Sam is proving to be the stronger one as his sword grows closer towards Ebony's breast, and she is doing her best to force him off.

**Uncle Sam**: When I defeat you, I'll be the only hero left! I'll do what is right for America and get rid of all them! They'll pay for turning this country into what it is now! For what they turned ME into! The crime, the destruction, the death! I will be this country's savior once again!

He kicks Ebony down and goes in for the killing blow.

**Uncle Sam**: I WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!!

(He's insane)

His sword stops when Ebony does a defensive blow against him and knocks him down to the ground.

**Ebony**: Are you done preaching a false gospel yet?  
**Uncle Sam**: What?!  
**Ebony**: You aren't what's best for this country. Or for this world.  
**Uncle Sam**: What do you know?!  
**Ebony**: A lot. Granted, what Superman did was a real shitty move. And the Kansas Disaster was probably his fault.

Uncle Sam tries to get up, but he can't stand.

**Ebony**: But what about you? You say they ruined this country, but where were you for the last ten years? You disappeared just like most of them did, and you let those lunatics run around during free play and just let the crooks do whatever they want.  
**Uncle Sam**: No one cared! No one noticed!  
**Ebony**: You don't help people to be noticed. You help because they need it.  
**Uncle Sam**: Yeah, but you're just like the rest of them. You're just like me.  
**Ebony**: Yes, I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I've tortured drug addicts to get them confess to stealing and killing. I've broken bones. I've caused psychological trauma. I've acted just like everyone else in the acts I commit. And I've blamed others.

Sam starts to get up.

**Ebony**: But at least I don't do it for the sake of it!

He falls back down.

**Ebony**: I don't fight because I get off on it, or for petty vengeance. I don't sit around blaming others for crime and not doing anything about it, and I don't believe killing is going to solve anything. I do what I do because of all the people out there that have been hurt. The people who've died because no one protected or spoke for them.

Ebony places her free hand on her stomach.

**Ebony**: I know because I was one of them.  
**Uncle Sam**: I, I'll-  
**Ebony**: You'll what? You're the personification of this country. So that means you're speaking for all of them. The public is just mad because Superman came back after the Disaster, and I added to that. Magog didn't prove to be what everyone wanted him to be, so your just whining like a little kid when he doesn't get extra dessert.

Ebony walks up to him and looks Sam right in his eyes.

**Ebony**: You are nothing but a spoiled brat.

Ebony swipes the rose from his jacket lapel. The petals scatter in a breeze. Sam lets a weak cry. He looks up at her with tears in his eyes.

**B-Ko**: She's won! The black-haired girl has won!  
**Uncle Sam**: I was big, y'know.  
**Ebony**: Not anymore.

Sam starts to fade away into dust, until all that is left is his filthy jacket. A wino jacket. His rose crest turns to dust. Ebony walks up to Wonder Woman and gives her back her sword.

**Ebony**: It's over.

(No it isn't. If this is any preview for the other people who got these rings, I don't have a choice in this matter. I won't back down. I'll fight for the power to revolutionize the world. I'll fight to help bring justice to the world. I'll-)

All of sudden, Ebony is hit with nausea. She begins to raise a hand to her head but lacks the strength.

(Why is the world spinning?)

She begins to stumble around, dizziness now overtaking her, until finally, she collapses. That's when the rumbling starts

**Wonder Woman**: An earthquake?!

Then the hole forms. In the middle of the bridge, a giant swirling hole has just formed. Small at first, but it starts to grow bigger by the second.

**Wonder Woman**: Kal, is that a Boom Tube?!  
**Superman**: No it's, I don't know what it is!

The hole starts to suck air in until it forms a vacuum. Still on the bridge's floor, Ebony's unconscious body is sucked right into it. No one, not even the Flash, is quick enough to catch her. And then, the hole closes as quickly as it came. Meanwhile, Keiko has made her way to a payphone, far away from the bridge.

**Keiko**: She took the bait, and she's exposed.  
**Voice on Phone**: Excellent. I knew she would. Now we have to make sure she'll stay convicted.  
**Keiko**: What's the next step?  
**Voice on Phone**: Now it's Shiori's turn. Come back home. When it's time you'll give out the next one.  
**Keiko**: He really was a foolish old man.  
**Voice on Phone**: He was. But he was useful for sparking the light.  
**Keiko**: And the mother…?  
**Voice on Phone**: Soon.

The red convertible pulls up next to Keiko.

**Keiko**: I've got to go. My ride is here.  
**Voice on Phone**: We'll talk later.  
**Keiko**: I love you.  
**Voice on Phone**: And I, you.

Keiko hangs up the phone, and some dying sunlight reflects off of the Rose Crest on her left hand. She heads to the car. The High School Girl is driving it.

**Keiko**: Where to now?  
**High School Girl**: To the End of the World.

To Be Continued

--

"Hi, my name is Ginger Anderson. I just moved here to Bayville"  
"Did you see that? She just pointed and that apple tree just grew! She's a goddamn mutie!"  
"Odd, Cerebro hasn't detected any new mutants in the area"  
"No, it couldn't be…not her"  
"You broke my heart, and I never forgave you"

Next time on Virtual Star Embryology  
_The May Queen and the Runaway Prince_

The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse


	2. 2: May Queen and the Runaway Prince I

Disclaimer: I do not own Revolutionary Girl Utena, X-Men Evolution, Marvel Comics, or Iron Man.

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the first half of the second part, the May Queen and the Runaway Prince. To all of you who are currently worrying about dear Ebony Dent, you'll find out about her in part seven, Missing Link. Now, we come to Ginger Anderson, a mutant girl living in an anti-mutant world. This Marvel world is the world home to the X-Men Evolution TV show. So once you're done reading, review and tell me what you think. But before I forget…

Beware the Red Lantern. That's all I have to say about Ebony Dent's future. For now. And now…

(I just want my prince to come and find me. Where has my prince gone?)

The Sister Grimhilde Academy for Girls, Bayville, New York, Earth 101010

Girl #1:

Hey, did you hear about the new girl?

Girl #2:

New girl?

Girl #1:

What? You didn't know?

Girl #2:

No, know what?

Girl #1:

There's a transfer student coming in today from a school in Manhattan. They say her father is the head of a supermarket chain and that she's insanely rich.

Girl #2:

Just what we need. Another rich girl here at dear old Sister Grimhilde's.

Meanwhile, freshman Sophie Carradine is walking down the hall, her face inside a book. She fails to realize that her shoes are untied and promptly trips just as she reaches the head of a stairway. She lets out a startled cry as she falls, but from out of nowhere, a hand grabs the back of Sophie's sweater jacket and prevents her from falling 

(She should be more careful)

Sophie looks up to see the face of her savior, a sixteen year-old girl with brown hair, brown eyes, fine skin, and a soft smile. The new girl, Ginger Anderson 

Ginger:

You should watch where you're going. You could have had a really nasty spill down there.

Sophie:

Thank you, miss…

Ginger:

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm new here. My name is Ginger. Ginger Anderson.

Sophie:

Oh you must be that new girl who was transferring in today from Manhattan.

Ginger:

Word spread about me that fast?

Sophie:

Sure. Everyone's been expecting you. Even the teachers have been looking forward to finally meeting you.

Ginger:

I wonder why…

(It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that my father is rich, not to sound sarcastic)

Sophie:

Is it true your father is the head of a supermarket chain and you're insanely rich?

(Strike that last comment)

Ginger:

Yes, but I don't think it's that important if I'm rich or not.

Sophie looks dumbstruck 

Sophie:

Are you serious?

Ginger:

Yeah. Money doesn't matter to me.

Sophie begins to think if those words can be used in that order 

Ginger:

You ok?

Sophie:

I've just never heard anyone say that. At least from anyone who goes to this school. Anyway, do you need anyone to show you around the school?

Ginger:

Oh, no thank you. I took a tour last week and I was just about to get settled in my room before I went to talk with the principal.

Sophie:

Ol' Stonewall? I feel for you.

Ginger laughs a little 

Ginger:

Thanks.

Ginger turns down the halls and heads for the dormitory 

Ginger:

See you around.

Sophie:

Later.

Ginger:

Oh, and don't forget to tie your shoes!

(I'm Ginger Anderson. I'm sixteen, and this is the world I live in. But what you've just seen, that isn't it. You have no idea what my world is like)

The Dorms

The Dormitories are well-decorated housing areas for the students. Each dorm is made up of four different bedrooms, big enough for three girls each. Ginger is in Dorm 2B, and is busy unpacking a large trunk onto her bed 

Ginger:

I wonder when I'll get the chance to tell them…? They'll probably find out on their own soon enough. I might as well enjoy calm seas for now before the storm hits.

(Too bad there's no weather report)

Ginger begins folding clothes and putting them away in a closet wardrobe when she hears the door open. In steps three of the most popular girls in the entire school. Veronica Cooper, Cheryl Ryder, and Betty Lodge 

(She looks like the queen bee)

Veronica:

You're the new girl, right?

Ginger laughing :

No. I just broke in and started trying on her things.

The other three girls let out an unsure laugh 

Betty:

You _are_ joking…right?

Cheryl:

No genius, she actually broke in.

Betty:

Should I call the cops?

Ginger laughs 

Ginger:

Nice one.

Betty:

Thank you.

Cheryl:

For the brain dead.

Veronica making a hand gesture to Cheryl and Betty :

Both of you, zip it.

Cheryl and Betty:

Yes, m'am!

Veronica sighs and flashes a cool smile 

Veronica:

I'm Veronica Cooper.

Ginger extending her hand :

Ginger Anderson. Nice to meet you.

(I honestly mean that. You never can judge a book by it's cover)

Veronica ignoring it :

You might've heard of my father, Harrison Cooper? The president of Jupiter Broadcasting?

(Or in this case…)

Ginger:

I don't really watch Jupiter Broadcasting. They never have anything good on.

Veronica looks like someone went up to her and slapped her 

Ginger:

Ooh, sorry.

Veronica:

That's alright. This is still a free country, you can give me your opinion. What _do_ you watch, then?

Ginger:

SKU News.

Veronica:

That crap?

Betty:

I like SKU News. I think, it's…

Veronica shoots her a filthy look 

Betty:

It's…

Veronica:

_What_ did I _just_ say?

Betty looking meek :

Zipping up, m'am.

(Ouch. Time to step in)

Ginger:

So who're your friends?

Veronica:

The redhead is Cheryl Ryder. Her parents own a line of car dealerships.

Cheryl:

The Mountain Lion VT. Fastest model out there.

Ginger:

Don't those things cause more pollution then dumping toxic waste?

Cheryl:

Those tests we're inconclusive!

Veronica:

The one with the dye job is Betty Lodge. Her mom writes books.

(Not _the_ Dorothy Lodge)

Ginger:

Your mom isn't Dorothy Lodge, is she?

Betty:

You know who my mom is?

Ginger:

She's my favorite writer besides Caroline B. Cooney. My favorite book by her was _When at Dawn_.

Betty:

That's my favorite too! What was your favorite part?

Ginger:

When Anna told her father off at her sister's party. What was your's?

Betty:

When Alisha and Luke confessed to killing Sinclair to save John.

(Who knew making friends would be this easy?)

As Ginger and Betty start to get into a conversation on literature, Veronica, looking more peeved, lets out a loud cough that anyone could tell meant "Shut it. Now". Betty quickly stops talking, and Ginger gets a look on her face meaning "Issues, much?" 

Cheryl:

Do you need a cough drop, Veronica?

Veronica:

No, I'm fine Cheryl dear.

("Cheryl dear"? If she wasn't completely made of ice…)

Veronica putting on a fake smile :

Well, not that this discussion of fine literature hasn't been fascinating, the girls and I thought we'd be the first to introduce you to Sister Grimhilde's.

Ginger:

Oh, really?

(I'll buy that at the same time as I'd buy a dead parrot)

Veronica:

We thought we'd let you know that _we_ are the group to join if you want to make it in this school.

(And the parrot has better conversation skills)

Ginger:

What's that supposed to mean?

(Like I didn't know)

Veronica:

Meaning we run this school…

Betty gets a look on her face saying "More like you run this school" 

Veronica:

…so we just thought we'd see if you'd like to join ahead of time to avoid any mishaps.

Ginger:

Mishaps?

Veronica:

If you ever happen to… fall in with the wrong crowd. Wear the wrong thing. Say the wrong thing.

(Think the wrong thoughts, Adolf?)

Veronica:

Don't get the wrong idea. We do this with all the new girls. We…

Ginger:

Check them out?

Veronica:

…introduce ourselves and see if we can mold them into the right type of girl.

(The type with stiff hair, a Malibu dream house, and matching pink-painted accessories for her pink-plastic face)

Ginger:

Or to see if I'm going to be a thorn in your side.

Veronica's smile slowly fades 

Veronica:

Whatever do you mean?

Ginger:

Don't play me. The whole "popularity" thing has never flown with me in the past and it won't start now.

Veronica:

Is that so?

Ginger:

Yes. If you're the kind of girl whom you've just presented yourself to be in twelve-foot letters, know I don't bend back for anyone who tells me to.

Veronica:

Spunky.

Ginger:

And just so you know, I don't adhere to threats. To me or anyone else.

Veronica:

Where would you get an idea like that?

Ginger:

Future warning. I know how to take care of myself.

(I have for the last few years of my life)

Veronica:

Well…

Veronica gets up in Ginger's face 

Veronica:

Just watch it.

Ginger:

Sure. Betty, let's catch up later so we can talk more.

Betty:

That sound's-

Veronica:

We have plans for the rest of the day. Don't we girls?

Cheryl:

Yes, Veronica.

Betty doesn't respond 

Veronica:

I said "don't we", Betty.

Betty:

…yeah.

(Poor girl)

Veronica:

Let's get going. We wouldn't want to be late for class.

Ginger:

I'm sure that's something you work hard to avoid.

Veronica laughs :

That's so funny I forgot to laugh.

Ginger:

Then what was that? Air escaping from your front tires?

Betty and Cheryl both laugh. Veronica's face has turned bright red. She huffily turns her back and proceeds out the door 

Veronica:

Move it girls!

Cheryl:

Yes, Veronica.

Cheryl heads out the door and Betty begins to follow, but turns around quick 

Betty:

If I've got you during Study Hall, we can talk then.

Ginger:

Cool.

Veronica in the hall :

Betty!

Betty:

Uh, coming! It was nice meeting you.

Ginger:

Nice meeting you too.

Betty out the door and in a low voice :

See ya!

(Nice girl. But Veronica needs to get her claws out of her)

Ginger:

So much for it being a free country. Smooth move, Ginger.

(And so much for calm seas. Veronica's going to give me hell for me from this point)

Turns to finish unpacking 

Ginger:

Maybe it won't be so bad and I did not just say that.

(They still hasn't found out about my…gift yet. That's sure to be pleasant)

Ginger then looks up at the clock. It's 9:00 AM 

Ginger:

Crap! I was supposed to see the principal half an hour ago!

Ginger dashes off with a bookbag in hand 

Principal Stonewall's Office

Stonewall is currently going over some papers when the intercom buzzes. She is a woman in her earlier seventies with primed graying hair in a styled cut, a pair of glasses on a chain around her neck, and in a navy suit. She is a tall woman to be sure, and some might say domineering. If they didn't fear an untimely death 

Principal Stonewall:

Yes?

Secretary Over Intercom:

There is a Miss Anderson here to see you.

Principal Stonewall:

Send her in.

Secretary in the other room :

You may go in.

Ginger in the other room :

Thank you.

Ginger enters the room, looking a little flustered 

Principal Stonewall:

Please, sit down.

Ginger sits in one of the chairs in front of Stonewall's desk 

Principal Stonewall:

Young lady, you do know you are thirty-five minutes let to when I asked you to be here.

Ginger:

I'm sorry, I was unpacking and I lost track of time.

Principal Stonewall:

Well you're new here, so I'll let it go. But don't let it happen again in the future.

Ginger:

Yes Principal Stonewall.

Principal Stonewall:

Miss Anderson, are you familiar with the reputation that the Sister Grimhilde Academy holds?

Ginger:

I can't say that I am, Principal Stonewall.

Principal Stonewall:

This school was founded on the ideals of educating young women to help them find their place in the world upon reaching adulthood. Of course, the world is always changing. And most of the time, it is not always for the better. This school has endured a lot in it's time and has weathered through unscathed, and it will continue to, despite certain…obstacles.

(What is she getting at?)

Principal Stonewall:

Miss Anderson, before I put the final approval on your application with the Board of Directors, I received a letter from your stepmother.

Ginger:

My stepmother?

(Oh God, what lies has Doreen spread this time to make my life miserable?)

Ginger:

Well, I wouldn't want to get my stepmother in trouble…

(I also wouldn't want her to know that everyone can tell she stuffs her bra)

Ginger:

…but what did this letter say? About me, I mean.

Principal Stonewall gets out of her seat and begins to walk back and forth behind Ginger's seat as she explains 

Principal Stonewall:

It mentioned your upbringing and the effect your parents' divorce had on you at such a young age.

(Maybe if she hadn't of flouted her non-existing goods in front of my dad's face)

Principal Stonewall:

It went on to explain your relationship with certain boys…

(That's a new one)

Ginger:

I don't have relations with boys. Or anyone for that matter.

Principal Stonewall:

Virtuous. But it went on to explain the reason you left your old school in Manhattan. And about your…gift, so to speak.

Ginger:

My gift?

(Get me kicked out before my first class. Smooth, Doreen, real smooth)

Ginger:

Is that all it said?

Principal Stonewall:

No. She spoke about how you were a problem child with a difficulty when it comes to following rules, and about how you've been kicked out of countless other schools for either causing mischief, getting into fights, or destroying property.

Ginger:

I wasn't "kicked out" as my loving stepmother mentioned. I left my old school, the only school I've ever left, because my father wasn't comfortable with me in the city by myself and had me transferred here because he thought I'd be safer. You can call him if you want, he isn't doing anything at this hour.

(Not that I can ever understand why he'd even consider going near her at _any_ time of day and night)

Principal Stonewall:

Your stepmother is an alumnus of Sister Grimhilde's.

Ginger:

I didn't know that.

(But judging from the student body it's no surprise, either)

Principal Stonewall:

She was a student here during the time when I was merely a literature teacher. And…

Ginger:

And…

Principal Stonewall:

Upon finishing reading her letter I promptly had my secretary put it in the paper shredder, then throw it in the trash.

(Whoa. Mood swing)

Ginger:

I don't understand.

Principal Stonewall places a hand on Ginger's shoulder 

Principal Stonewall:

Miss Anderson, Ginger, If I may, when Doreen Phillips was a student here, she was nothing more then a dimwitted airhead who spent her time chasing boys and couldn't even string together two letters to save her life.

Ginger:

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who shares that view of my stepmother.

Principal Stonewall:

Like I said, the world is changing. And I am intent to see that Sister Grimhilde's will change with it.

Ginger:

So then you don't have a problem with my-

Principal Stonewall:

Of course not. I just hope that you won't be using it to cause problems.

Ginger:

God, no! But I might have a hard time with that.

Principal Stonewall:

Judging from that expression you've just met Miss Cooper, am I right?

Ginger:

Unfortunately.

Principal Stonewall:

Yes. My grandniece has that effect on people.

Ginger:

Grandniece?

(Grandniece?!)

Principal Stonewall:

My late sister's granddaughter and the daughter of my niece who, as you can see, somewhat proves the idea that brains do not run in the family. Veronica's mother is a fashion model who has been retired to the Caribbean for the last ten years and left it on me, the purpose of looking after her daughter while she works on getting melanoma.

Ginger:

She doesn't exactly give off the vibe of having a no-nonsense aunt as a principal.

Principal Stonewall:

She may not be able to sweet-talk me, but she and her mother are capable of doing so to the board of directors and the vice-principal, both of whom, shall we say, see the world through "green" lenses.

(That makes sense. After all, money can talk. For most of the idiots out there)

Ginger:

The vice-principal?

Principal Stonewall:

Miss Deleroy. A former associate of Veronica's mother who managed to snag the job when I became principal.

Ginger:

You have my deepest sympathy.

Principal Stonewall:

Thank you, child.

Ginger:

Will I be meeting Miss Deleroy today?

Principal Stonewall:

No. She is with our shudders cheerleading team at a state championship in California at the moment.

Ginger:

Which also happens to be taking place in a four-star hotel on a sandy beach with volleyball and glistening bodybuilders covered in tanning oil?

Principal Stonewall:

More like a two-star motel in the middle of a barren desert. Please laughs , I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

Ginger laughs as well 

(She's pretty cool, despite the fact that she shares blood with someone like Veronica. And she hates Doreen, that's another plus)

Stonewall gets back behind her desk and takes out some papers, which she then hands to Ginger 

Principal Stonewall:

Here is your class schedule, and your locker number and combination, as well as a copy of the school rules and code of conduct. Each classroom is already stocked with up-to-date textbooks, so all you have to worry about is having the proper tools for note-taking. As you would've already been told during the open house, the students are allowed to head into town after classes and on the weekend, but we require that you be back by 8:00 sharp, or the police will be notified. Ah, as I can see…

The clock on the wall in Stonewall's office reads 9:31 

Principal Stonewall:

Your second period class is drawing to an end.

Ginger:

Oh! Let's see…

Ginger begins going over her schedule 

Ginger:

It says I have calculus first and second with a Mr. Rothenberg.

Principal Stonewall:

His classroom is two doors down from mine. It shouldn't be that hard to find.

Ginger:

Thank you.

Principal Stonewall:

Enjoy your stay at Sister Grimhilde's.

(And so that was pretty much the rest of the day from then on. I found Mr. Rothenberg's class as easy as Principal Stonewall said. Unfortunately I found Veronica as well. She was in every single one of my classes and she tried her hardest to make me miserable. It didn't work. She tried every mean, rotten, despicable thing in the book, and all I did was ignore her. She even tried sucking up to the teachers every time I gave a correct answer in class. Example time, kiddies)

In American History

Ms. Chmakova:

Who can tell me who the founder of Hull House was?

Ginger and a few other girls raise their hand, Veronica being the first after Ginger 

Ms. Chmakova:

Miss Anderson?

Ginger:

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.

Ms. Chmakova:

Very good, Miss Anderson.

Veronica has turned red as the others get back to work. She then slyly raises her hand 

Ms. Chmakova:

Yes, Miss Cooper?

Veronica:

Ms. Chmakova, did I mention that is a lovely blazer you have on today?

Ms. Chmakova:

…do you actually have something to add that is relevant to today's lesson or are you just sucking up as usual, Miss Cooper?

Veronica turns beet red 

(Okay that was just pathetic)

In Art Class

The students are each doing a still-life of a vase of lilies that is in the center of the room. Veronica, holding a cup of black paint, walks up to Ginger's canvas as she is washing her hands 

Veronica:

Oops!

Veronica "trips" and empties the cup of paint all over Ginger's canvas 

Ginger:

What did do you do?!

Veronica:

Clumsy me.

Veronica giggles and walks back to her canvas 

Ginger:

Crap. It's-

Ms. Case:

Brilliant!

Ginger turns around to see Ms. Case, the art teacher, admiring her ruined painting with stars in her eyes 

Ginger:

What?

Veronica:

What?

Ms. Case:

The symbolism! The texture! The intent! I'm keeping my eye on you, my dear.

Ginger:

I… don't know what to say.

Ms. Case:

You must tell me where you get your inspiration from.

Ginger:

Oh, I'd have to say Veronica was my "inspiration".

Veronica has just cracked her canvas in half 

(Thank God for insane art teachers)

In the Cafeteria

Veronica has just gotten her lunch tray when she sees Ginger, standing with a full tray of food. At first, she thinks "she eats THAT much?" and starts to think she might be bulimic, but then she thinks "too easy". She starts whistling a tune, then as she walks by Ginger, she elbows her in the back and makes her spill all that food 

Ginger:

Veronica, what is your problem?!

Veronica:

Maybe you should watch where you're standing.

Ginger:

Apologize. Now.

Veronica:

Now why on Earth should I apologize to you?

Ginger:

Don't apologize to me, apologize to Mr. Donovan.

Veronica shocked :

D-Donovan? The science teacher?

Ginger:

Yep.

Veronica:

What were you doing with Mr. Donovan's tray?!

Veronica gulps when she hears a growl 

Ginger:

He handed it to me…

A low growling sound pierces Veronica's ears, causing her to break into a cold sweat 

Ginger:

…so he could tie his shoes.

Mr. Donovan bends back up, food dripping off his back and his head, looking very mad at Veronica 

Ginger:

Sorry, Mr. Donovan.

Mr. Donovan:

That's alright, Miss Anderson. As for YOU, Miss Cooper…

Veronica is now crying 

In Music Class

Anya Mitchell has just finished doing her scales 

Mr. Moore:

Very good, Miss Mitchell. Next, Miss Cooper.

Veronica heads up to the front of the music studio. She "bumps" into Anya on the way 

Veronica whispering towards Ginger :

Beat this.

Ginger whispering back :

It's not a competition, moron.

Mr. Moore:

You may begin, Miss Cooper.

Veronica does her scales as well. Some people comment that she sounds like a pop star 

Mr. Moore:

Excellent, Miss Cooper. Excellent.

Veronica curtsying :

Thank you, Mr. Moore.

Mr. Moore:

Up next is…ah, our new student, Miss Anderson. Miss Anderson?

Ginger:

Okay.

Ginger heads to the front of the studio 

Ginger:

I'm a little nervous though.

(I'm never comfortable performing in front of other people)

Mr. Moore:

Just do your best.

Veronica:

This oughta be good.

Ginger begins doing her scales, but compared to Veronica, she is on another whole level. Practically everyone is amazed and moved at how beautiful her voice is. People passing by the studio stop to listen to the beautiful melody. By the time she stops, everyone has a look of awe spread on their faces. Someone is even holding a lit lighter in the air 

(Am I _that_ good?)

Ginger:

I'll, uh, just take my seat Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore?

Mr. Moore has a look of unbelievable joy all over his face and is crying tears of happiness. He then gets up and grabs Ginger, who is looking very, _very _uncomfortable 

Mr. Moore:

MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!!

Ginger:

Teacher touching student over here! TEACHER TOUCHING STUDENT OVER HERE!

Veronica's face turns brick red. She lets out an angry growl and snaps a pencil in her hand. The girl next to her lets out a startled cry and is now whimpering 

(All in all, it has been a very interesting day)

After School

Ginger is wandering around the halls, looking for Betty. After about a half hour of searching, Ginger finds herself in a courtyard placed in the back of the school. There are girls talking, laughing, listening to music, some are even watching a mini TV. Tired from a busy day, Ginger rests on a bench in front of a sparkling fountain, and begins listening to the TV the other girls have, which happens to be turned to Channel Seven 

E-Ko:

Hi! And welcome to SKU News. And now, the Midday Weather Report! F-Ko?

F-Ko:

Thank you, E-Ko.

A weather chart pops up behind F-Ko, with the forecast for the rest of the week lined up. She begins pointing at the individual days 

F-Ko:

As you can see behind me, Mother Nature has been very kind to us this past week. Starting on Sunday…

Sunday has a sun symbol on it, with the number 75 printed below it 

F-Ko:

We've been graced with warm weather and sunny skies that have lasted us all the way to Wednesday.

E-Ko:

Perfect for all of you love birds out there to spend your time at the beach or a park, just so long as you're together.

F-Ko:

However…

E-Ko:

However?

F-Ko:

Starting on Thursday, the sun will start to disappear behind a veil of gray and murky clouds, and the temperature will drop down to 70.

Thursday has a sun symbol covered by clouds and the number 70 has appeared below it 

E-Ko:

Well that's alright. It may not be that warm to spend the day at the beach, but you can still enjoy a nice date at an outdoors restaurant, or go to an amusement park, or just take a walk together.

F-Ko:

Wait. It gets worse.

E-Ko:

Worse?

F-Ko:

On Friday, expect to see showers throughout the door, and the temperature dropping down to 55.

E-Ko:

55?!

Friday has a storm symbol and the number 55 below it. Rain begins to fall onto F-Ko and the sound of thunder and lightning can be heard…until the camera zooms out to reveal that C-Ko is holding a watering can over F-Ko's head, A-Ko is shaken a tin sheet, and B-Ko is banging the sheet with a hammer 

E-Ko:

Would you three knock that off?!

C-Ko, B-Ko, and A-Ko all jump back into a corner, and F-Ko is holding her head down 

F-Ko:

Why bother? It wouldn't make any difference. You can't change the weather.

E-Ko:

Were you dumped again?

F-Ko:

What does that have to do with the weather?!

E-Ko has now backed into a corner 

E-Ko:

So, uh, is there any sign of improvement?

F-Ko perks her head back up 

F-Ko:

Yes actually. On Saturday, the storm clouds will disappear, and the temperature should rise up to a nice 80, for everyone to enjoy.

Saturday has a bright and shining sun symbol with the number 80 below it 

E-Ko:

What a relief.

Then the water gets poured on at heavy duty over F-Ko, and Saturday disappears for the forecast for the next week 

F-Ko:

But then another storm will hit starting on Sunday, which will then continue on for the rest of the week with no chance of ever letting up!

E-Ko:

So you _were_ dumped again.

F-Ko:

Was it something I said? Something I wore? Did he hate the way I made his lunch for him every. Single. DAY?!

C-Ko:

Calm down, honey.

A-Ko:

He didn't deserve a girlfriend as great as you.

B-Ko:

You were too good for him.

E-Ko:

Moving on…

F-Ko pushes E-Ko out of the way and starts shaking the camera 

F-Ko:

Why did he have to break up with me?! We could've made it work! We could've-

The screen cuts to a photo of a mouse holding a chewed wire, with the words reading "Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By". The girls watching SKU News start to groan in disappointment. One of them mutters "Just when it was getting good" 

Ginger:

And she called it crap.

Betty:

Hey!

Ginger looks to her left to see Betty heading her way 

Ginger:

Hey Betty.

Betty takes a seat next to Ginger on the bench 

Betty:

I was looking for you.

Ginger:

I was looking for you, but decided to take a break. Where's Veronica?

Betty:

Wondering at the marvels of opening a pair of scissors.

Ginger laughs a little when something catches her attention. A burnt-out stump behind the fountain 

Ginger:

Betty, what is that?

Betty:

That used to be an apple tree until Veronica tossed a match at it.

Ginger:

Why did she do that?

Betty:

She tried getting another student in trouble. It didn't work.

Ginger:

Why do you hang out with an itch-bay like her anyway?

Betty:

Like she said, _she_ runs this school. You've gotta pass her approval rating or else she gives you hell.

Ginger:

And obviously I flunked. Good.

Betty:

Aren't you scared?

Ginger:

Name one reason why I should be scared of her.

Betty:

…Jasmine White.

Ginger:

Who's Jasmine White?

Betty:

She _used_ to be a freshman here, until Veronica found out.

Ginger:

Found out what?

Betty:

She was a mutant.

(Looks like I wasn't far off)

Betty:

One day, during a chemistry class, Jasmine was handling some chemicals in a beaker when it just, I don't know, blew up in her hands.

Ginger:

She could make things explode?

Betty:

Let me finish. She went to go get the janitor to clean up the broken glass. As she was leaving the classroom, the doorknob burst into flames. It turned out she could set things on fire. She was a…what do you call them?

Ginger:

Pyrokinetic.

Betty:

That's it. She would've been expelled by Vice Principal Deleroy and the Board of Directors if it wasn't for Principal Stonewall. But compared to what she went through expulsion would've been a Godsend.

Ginger:

Betty, what did Veronica do?

Betty:

Jasmine was now on the receiving end of Veronica's whip. She pulled pranks on her, tripped her in the hallways, stole her stuff…

Ginger:

Didn't she get in trouble?

Betty:

Of course. She doesn't have all the teachers on her side.

(Or her aunt)

Betty:

She got detention for weeks for the things she did. I got four days detention for helping her cut up Jasmine's favorite sweater.

Ginger:

Why would you help her do something like that?!

Betty:

She told me it was hers, and she wanted to shorten it.

Ginger:

Don't tell me you bought that crock of shit.

Betty:

No. I was just…afraid of what she would do if I didn't.

Ginger:

Then what?

Betty:

Veronica wasn't allowed in any clubs or activities after one particular prank and was even arrested.

Ginger:

The apple tree.

Betty:

Yeah. She burned it down and tried to put the blame on Jasmine. It would've worked too, until someone found Veronica's fingerprints on a box of matches she tossed behind a bush. She was forced to do three months of community service. That's when the pranks started to become more vicious, although I'm not sure that what came to follow was Veronica's responsibility.

Ginger:

Why is that?

Betty:

Do you know there are a lot of other mutants living in Bayville?

Ginger:

No, I didn't.

Betty:

Most of them go to Bayville High and live at a place run by a man named Xavier. There are a lot of anti-mutant fanatics who go to that high school, especially the principal. Word spread out that Jasmine was a mutant and the man named Xavier came here one day and offered her a place at his school. She turned him down, and said she just wanted to be normal. Then, she started getting calls from people telling her they were gonna…

Ginger:

Going to what?

Betty whispers them into Ginger's ear. A horrified look appears on Ginger's face and she gasps 

(What kind of sick fuck what even _think_ those kinds of things?!)

Betty:

The police couldn't find out who was making the calls, and Jasmine had had enough. So one night, she climbed into a car and then she…used her powers.

Ginger shouting :

And what is Veronica still doing at this school?!

The other girls in the courtyard all turn their heads towards Ginger 

Betty:

I told you. Principal Stonewall tried to have her expelled, but the Board of Directors kept vetoing her decision.

Ginger:

Because of her mother's money. Betty why do you still hang around Veronica if you know what she's capable of?

Betty:

You just answered your own question. But you don't have to worry about that. You're normal. She wouldn't do that to you unless you really pissed her off.

(Now or never, Ginger)

Ginger:

Betty, I-

Ginger's words are cut short by the sound of breaking glass and a girl screaming. The other students look up. On the seventh floor, there is a girl desperately hanging from a ledge with one hand, right above the burnt stump. Students are shouting and yelling "what happened?" and "a girl fell out a window. Ginger and Betty join the crowd around the stump, but Ginger pushes her way to the front. Inside the sixth floor, a senior is trying to help the girl 

Betty:

Oh my God!

Girl:

Help me!

Senior:

Give me your hand!

The girl tries to get hold of the senior's hand, but she is losing her grip on the ledge. Finally, she slips and begins to fall. Ginger points to the stump right before the girl lost her grip. Then, something amazing happens. The stump begins to grow at an incredible rate, forming branches, leaves and apples in a matter of seconds. And a matter of seconds is all it took. The girl falls through the leaves and branches, and lands in Ginger's arms. Aside from a few cuts, she is fine. There is silence, the moment is so tense you could cut through it with a knife. Ginger gently lets the girl out of her arms 

Ginger:

Are you okay?

Girl:

I'm fine.

Ginger:

What happened?

Girl:

I don't know. One minute I was walking down the hall, the next I went through the window. I think I must've tripped on something.

Ginger:

What's your name?

Girl:

BLEEEEEP.

Ginger:

Well BLEEEEEP, go see the nurse. Do you need help getting there?

(Why am I asking? _I_ don't even know where the nurse is)

Girl:

No, I'll be fine to go by myself.

Ginger:

Good.

The Girl then hugs Ginger as tears fall from her eyes 

Girl crying :

Thank you.

Ginger:

It's alright. Just watch where you're going next time. An apple tree isn't gonna grow every time you trip.

Girl trying to stop crying :

I will, but still. You saved my life.

Ginger:

Just go to the nurse.

Girl:

Okay.

The Girl then walks through the crowd. That is when Ginger turns to the crowed. Half shocked, half horrified. Betty looks ashamed 

Ginger:

So…

Veronica:

Did you see that? She just pointed and that apple tree just grew! She's a goddamn mutie!

The crowd is now in an uproar. Above, clouds begin to darken the sky 

Ginger:

And so it begins…

Friday

Girl #1:

Hey, did you hear? That new girl is a mutant!

Girl #2:

Yeah, she saved that girl's life yesterday! I saw the whole thing. And she didn't act all high and mighty.

Girl #3:

She didn't?

Girl #2:

All she asked the girl was if she wanted someone to bring her to the nurse. Then she told her to be more careful.

Girl #3:

She's so cool!

Girl #1:

But she's a mutant, you guys.

Girl #2:

If she wasn't that girl would be dead right now. Besides, times are changing.

Girl #3:

And what about those other mutants, the ones who helped save the world a few months ago? They seemed pretty cool, too.

Girl #1:

I guess…but what do you think Veronica is going to do?

Girl #2:

Oh who cares about her?

Girl #3:

Yeah. If you ask me, someone ought to take her down a few pegs and I think the new girl is just the one to do it.

Girl #1:

You're one to talk. The other day you were just saying how much you wanted to borrow her new top.

Girl #3:

Cuz' it's a cute top!

The Dining Hall

The girls are enjoying their breakfast when Ginger walks up to a table with a tray in hand. The girls abruptly stop talking once they see Ginger. She notices an empty seat 

Ginger:

Is this seat taken?

The girls remain silent 

(I knew it)

Ginger:

Alright then.

Ginger begins to walk away 

Anya:

Wait.

Ginger:

Huh?

Anya:

You can sit here if you want, Ginger.

Rachel Morrison has opened the seat for Ginger 

Rachel:

Yeah, you're okay with us.

Ginger:

You don't have a problem with me being a mutant?

Anya:

Of course not. Especially after the way you saved that girl, yesterday.

Ginger:

Oh! That reminds me. Has anyone seen that girl at all since yesterday?

Rachel:

No, actually. Have you seen her at all, Anya?

Anya:

No. What about you girls?

The other girls all reply with either a "no" or "me either" 

Ginger:

That's weird.

Anya:

Well, sit down and have breakfast with us. You can look for her later.

Ginger:

Well, okay…

(I hope that girl is alright)

Ginger takes her seat with the girls, who are each acting open and friendly towards her, disproving her previous idea of "hitting a storm". The girls start to have a conversation on how Ginger is enjoying Sister Grimhilde's so far, until… 

Veronica:

I wouldn't get too close to her if I were you…

Ginger and the others turn to see Veronica, as well as Cheryl and Betty, standing in front of one the dining hall windows and blocking the sunlight 

Veronica:

She might contaminate the rest of you.

Anya:

Wow, Veronica. You were able to pronounce the word "contaminate" correctly.

Rachel:

But I'll bet she can't spell it. Buzz off.

Veronica:

Fair warning, you might not see too much of Miss Anderson in the future.

Anya:

And why is that?

Veronica:

I heard that the Board of Directors, the Principal, and the Vice Principal have been up all night debating on having her kicked out. They don't feel people like _her_ belong at this school.

Ginger:

Why would they kick me out just for being a democrat?

Anya, Rachel, and the other girls laugh. Veronica scowls 

Ginger:

I told you that I'm not the type to be intimidated when we first met.

Veronica:

Well, let's just hope you don't wind up like poor Jasmine White.

Ginger:

Your dedication to the well being of others is inspiring to us all, Veronica. In fact, why should you waste your kindness and good will on us undeserving insects when there are some many others out there who desperately need it…

Veronica failing to realize the sarcasm :

It's nice to know that you realize that.

The girls have a laughing fit. Veronica narrows her eyes to Ginger, who has not shown an ounce of fear towards the supposed queen bee 

Veronica:

When I'm through with you you'll wish you'd never heard the name "Veronica Cooper".

Ginger:

I've been wishing it ever since I met you.

Veronica under her breath :

Goddamn freak.

Ginger:

What was that?

Veronica:

Nothing. Come on, girls.

Cheryl:

Yes, Veronica.

Veronica and Cheryl begin to leave the dining hall, but Betty isn't moving from her spot 

Veronica:

I said "come on" Betty.

Betty:

I'll catch up with you later, Veronica.

Veronica:

…whatever. Come on Cheryl.

Cheryl:

Hmph!

Ginger:

"Hmph" back atcha, you _Degrassi_ reject!

Cheryl lets out a sound of offense and storms out behind Veronica. Betty still hasn't moved from her spot, and her gaze is fixed solely on Ginger 

Ginger:

Is there something I can help you with, Betty?

Betty:

I…was wondering if you'd like to hang out in town after school.

(So she _does_ have a backbone, after all. Go girl!)

Ginger:

Sure. That'd be great.

Betty:

Cool. Meet me at a bookstore named "Pollack's" at like 4:00.

Ginger:

Where is it?

Betty:

It's near a store named "Seazer's". It's a punk clothing store, you can't miss it.

Ginger:

(Unfortunately, breakfast was the only time of the day that was enjoyable. Veronica held true to her threat of trying to make me miserable. Throughout all my classes I kept receiving notes that said "GO TO HELL, MUTANT FREAK" or "YOU ARE GOING TO DIE, BITCH". Of course I ripped these up after I was done reading them. I've read worse. And I've read more creative ones. In art class, Veronica purposely tossed red paint all over my uniform. Ms. Case allowed me to go get changed into a clean one. But _someone_ cut up my spare one. That wasn't all they did. My bed and my belongings were trashed. I was impressed to be honest with you. All this crap on the second day. Veronica may be spoiled, but she's dedicated. I had to get changed in a blouse and skirt and explained what happened when I got back to class. I also noticed someone stole my bookbag and turned it inside out. During lunch, she spilled iced tea on my head and I had to shower, causing me to miss the first twenty minutes of history class. By the time that was over Veronica was beaming with pride. Until I had my discussion with Ms. Chmakova. She caught me as I was leaving class. Veronica was listening intently behind the classroom door)

Ginger:

The weather report said it was going to rain today. Oh well.

Ms. Chmakova:

Ginger…

Ginger:

Yes?

Ms. Chmakova:

Is there anything you'd like to talk about?

Ginger:

About what?

Ms. Chmakova:

About… certain people.

Ginger sighing :

Ms. Chmakova, I honestly don't care about "certain people". Believe me, I have more important problems to deal with.

Ms. Chmakova:

Ginger, you know if you have any problems you can come to me or any of the other teachers.

Ginger:

Thank you, Ms. C, but I promise you, I'm fine.

Ms. Chmakova:

Alright, then. Just be careful.

Ginger:

I will. But right now, I have to hurry. I'm supposed to meet Betty Lodge at-

Ginger is cut off by the sound of someone running away in a hurry 

Ginger:

Oh crap.

Ginger dashes out of the classroom and tries to follow after Veronica, ignoring Ms. Chmakova's calls 

(What is she going to do? I have to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid)

Ginger hears the sound of someone getting slapped and a cry of pain coming from the courtyard. She enters just in time to see Betty being beaten up by Veronica 

Veronica:You were going to go hang out with that freak?! You're no better then she is!

Veronica kicks Betty to the ground. She is on her knees 

Betty:

Please…

Veronica:

Please, what? raises her foot to kick her again Please, what?!

Ginger lunges at Veronica and brings her to the ground 

Ginger:

Back off!

Veronica:

Get your hands off me, you diseased freak!

Ginger:

I'm the freak? I'm not the one beating up an innocent young woman.

Ginger gets off Veronica, who then tries to punch her in the face, but misses and falls flat on her face 

Veronica:

You have no idea the kind of hell I'm gonna bring on your miserable ass!

Ginger:

Spare me the melodrama.

Ginger walks over to Betty and helps her stand up 

Ginger:

You alright?

Betty:

I coughs I'll be alright.

Veronica:

You're gonna be sorry, Lodge.

Ginger:

Shut the hell up, Veronica! What is your problem?! You honestly think I'm going to react to all of the crap you pull, just because I'm a mutant? I told you I don't adhere to threats, on me or anyone else. And that means on this girl.

Veronica:

You think I'm scared of you?

Ginger:

Yes, to be honest. For thousands of years people try to destroy the things they're afraid of. Because they're jealous.

Veronica:

Jealous? Of a freak like you?

Ginger:

Don't people dream about doing the kind of things mutants can do? Don't they dream of flying? Of changing their appearance?

Ginger extends her hand and opens her palm. She concentrates for a few seconds and a ball of fire appears in her hand 

Ginger:

Making plants grow isn't the only thing I can do, Veronica.

Ginger closes her hand and the flames become extinguished. Now, she raises her hand in the air and causes a pillar of stones and dirt to rise out of the ground. She lowers her hand and the pillar crumbles. She points to the fountain and the water turns to ice. Then the ice melts and turns back to water. Ginger then turns her gaze to Veronica and starts to advance on her 

Veronica:

St-stay back! Don't do anything you'll regret, Ginger!

Ginger:

Let me make one thing clear. I don't care about your petty xenophobia or anyone else's. Being a mutant doesn't bother me. And besides, why should I care about what you think of me? Just because you're rich? Because you have influence over this school? You can say whatever you want about me and I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of a tear. Now go crawl back into the backseat of the Volkswagen Beetle you were spawned in and die.

Veronica stumbles, then runs out of the courtyard. Betty is looking very grateful for just happened. Ginger turns her head towards Betty and smiles 

Ginger:

We still going to have that talk, Betty?

Betty:

Yeah. Listen, I have to take care of a few things. Is it okay if I meet you there?

Ginger:

Sure.

(I know what you're thinking, and I had seen some of Bayville the week before. After the little debacle in the courtyard, I returned to Ms. Chmakova's classroom to get my things back I went and got changed into some of the only clothes that Veronica hadn't tried to destroy, a white peasant blouse and a black skirt. One of the cleaning ladies was already straightening up my part of the dorm when I got back. I had a car, a white convertible that Dad had given me as a gift before I transferred here. Veronica didn't trash that because I didn't tell anyone about it)

Pollack's Book Store

Pollack's Book Store is a rather large store with it's own cafe, like Barnes & Noble, only it's a family business. Ginger is sitting at a small table, nursing a cold coffee and waiting for Betty. She looks at her watch, which now reads 5:00. She has been there for two hours 

Ginger:

I guess I better go.

Ginger gets out of her seat and heads outside 

(Why didn't she show up? This is the right place. That Seazer's store is next door, just like she said. God, I hope Veronica didn't do anything after I left…)

Lost in thought, Ginger fails to notice the girl running down the street, and can't react fast enough to get out of her way. Both hit the ground in two seconds 

Ginger:

Sorry.

Girl:

Yeah, well, watch where you're going.

Ginger:

You ran into me!

The girl has short blonde hair in a punk haircut with waterproof punk makeup and blue eyes 

Girl:

Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry.

Both get off the ground and wipe off whatever dirt has got on their clothes 

Ginger:

What were you running from?

Girl:

I was running from th-oh! They're gone.

Ginger:

Who's gone?

Girl:

The guys who were chasing me.

Ginger:

Why were you being chased?

Girl:

They had a problem with me being a mutant. The name's Tabby.

Ginger:

Hi. I'm Ginger. Ginger Anderson. I just moved here.

Tabby:

Nice to meet you.

Ginger:

You said you're a mutant?

Tabby:

Yeah. You don't have a problem with that, do you?

Tabby, or as she likes to be called, Boom Boom, forms a small bomb in her hand 

Ginger:

No, because…

Ginger points to the bomb in Tabby's hand and it freezes over 

Ginger:

As you can see.

Tabby:

A new mutant in Bayville. How original.

Ginger:

Do you live at that place Xavier's by any chance?

Tabby:

Sure. A lot of us do.

The two begin to walk down the street and continue on with their conversation. Clouds begin to form in the sky. However, we must take a break from the conversation between Tabby Smith and Ginger Anderson and introduce you to the three young men who were chasing Tabby. Tommy February, Harold Floyd, and Dick Knight. Three seniors at Bayville High. All three are on the football team, all three are taking performance enhancers, and all three hate mutants, following in the tradition of former quarterback Duncan Matthews. All three had just been going through a joint 'roid rage, and saw Tabby as the receiving end. But, they just happened to see their benefactor, Ms. H we'll call her, in a nearby alley across the street, and decided to let Tabby slip to get a little refresher. However, Ms. H, clad in a brown overcoat and a big, brown hat, has something else in store for them, and she needs it done correctly. Her voice is like a whisper, only louder 

Ms. H:

You see that girl that Miss Smith is with right now?

Tommy:

The brown-haired one?

Ms. H:

I want you to follow the two of them. But if one of them leaves, I want you to follow the brown-haired one. And only the brown-haired one. Understand?

Harold:

When do we get paid, Ms. H?

Ms. H:

You get paid if you do what I tell you. Once you start following the brown-haired girl, you get her alone.

Harold:

Then what do we do?

Ms. H:

You get to do whatever you want to her.

Dick:

No problem.

Ms. H:

But make sure she can't concentrate.

Tommy:

Concentrate on what?

Ms. H:

Anything. It doesn't matter.

Tommy:

Easy enough.

Harold:

I don't know you guys.

Dick:

Don't be such a wuss, Harry.

Harold:

Well it's just, we were chasing after Smith to let off a little steam, but Ms. H, why do we got to mess with that girl?

Ms. H:

Because, Harold…

Ms. H puts her hand on Harold's shoulder and starts to squeeze it 

Ms. H:

I'm telling you too.

Harold:Yeah, but-

Ms. H:

Tell me, how did you win last week's game?

Harold:

We won because, because…

Ms. H:

Because of me. Isn't that right?

Harold:

Yeah…

Ms. H:

And you want to keep winning, right?

Harold:

Yes.

Ms. H:

You want to get paid, don't you?

Harold:

Yeah.

Ms. H:

Then follow that girl.

Harold:

But-

Ms. H:

I can see a special touch is needed here.

Ms. H's eyes begin to narrow, and a series of yellow rings that send out a small, pulsating noise starts to form out of her eyes and disappear into Harold's 

Ms. H:

You will follow that girl.

Harold hypnotized :

I will follow that girl.

Ms. H:

You aren't going to ask anymore questions.

Harold hypnotized :

I won't ask anymore questions.

Ms. H:

And if anyone asks you anything about where you get your winning attitude from, or who told you to follow that girl…

Harold hypnotized :

I will not mention you at all.

Ms. H:

That goes for you two as well.

The yellow rings start to become wider and extend into Dick and Tommy's eyes as well 

Dick and Tommy hypnotized :

Yes, Ms. H.

The yellow rings have stopped forming from Ms. H's eyes, but all three still looked dazed 

Ms. H:

By my guess they should be in the park area by now. Keep after, but don't draw attention to yourselves.

Dick, Harold, and Tommy hypnotized :

Yes, Ms. H.

The three start to leave the alley 

Ms. H:

And boys…

Dick, Harold, and Tommy hypnotized :

Yes, Ms. H?

Ms. H:

Remember, I said, anything.

Dick, Harold, and Tommy hypnotized :

Yes, Ms. H.

The three have now started to head for the park. Ms. H leaves a few minutes later and heads in the opposite directions. She takes off her hat and allows her long, blonde hair to flow freely 

Ms. H:

Teenage boys are so easy. Especially when they have inferiority complexes.

Ms. H lets out a shrill laugh. Meanwhile, at the park, Ginger has just finished explaining to Tabitha her life story after Tabitha has given hers 

Ginger:

…so after that my stepmother had my dad transfer me to the school here.

Tabby:

Bummer. And no one had any problem at all with you being a mutant at your old school?

Ginger:

It was a pretty small school, and a lot of the kids there were open minded. I was only there for a few months.

Tabby:

You miss anyone from there? Like, a boyfriend perhaps?

Ginger:

No! I hate boys!

(Whoops!)

Tabby:

Whoa! Sorry. Wait, if you hate boys, does that mean you're a-

Ginger:

No! I apologize for that little outburst. I don't really hate boys. I just had a really bad experience with one and I haven't been in a relationship since.

Tabby:

What happened?

Ginger:

He was all I had, and then he disappeared. From me, his parents, everyone. But I haven't forgotten him.

(The jerk)

Tabby:

Sorry.

Ginger:

Thanks, but it's alright.

Tabby:

So, all that aside, is freezing things the only power you have? Because we only have one guy like that at the Institute and man is he annoying.

Ginger:I can do a lot of stuff, actually. I've had my abilities for a few years now and I practice a lot.

Tabby:

Like what?

Ginger:

I can make plants grow, I can freeze things and I control stuff like water, fire, electricity, metal, rocks, and wind.

Tabby:

Cool. Is that all, or can you control stuff in outer space?

Ginger:

That's pretty much it. My powers are only limited to stuff made from the Earth. Even manmade elements or stuff like genetically created plants or animals. They were all made from something that came from the Earth. I once tried to control a comet during a meteor shower two years ago but that didn't work. But I'm especially powerful when it comes to plants and flowers.

Ginger points to the ground and causes a rose bush to grow. The roses are orange colored 

Ginger:

What do you notice about those roses?

Tabby:

They're orange. Personally I prefer shocking pink, but-

Ginger:

No, no, no. Look at the stems.

Tabby kneels down to get a closer look at the rose stems 

Tabby:

They don't have any thorns.

Ginger picks a rose off the bush and holds it up 

Ginger:

Besides being able to make them grow, I can also control certain aspects of plants.

The rose stems suddenly become covered in thorns. The thorns then retract themselves in 

Ginger:

If I concentrate, I can make roses that are covered in thorns are roses that have none. And besides that…

The roses starts to change color. From orange, to pink, to white, to puke green, to turquoise, to orange again. The leaves in the bush then start to change color as well 

Ginger:

I can change their color…

The rose bush suddenly grows six feet 

Ginger:

Their height…

The rose bush shrinks back down 

Tabby:

What did you change that time?

Ginger:

Smell them.

Tabby sniffs one of the roses 

Tabby:

They don't smell like roses anymore! They smell like, like pizza.

Ginger:

Pizza? I was going for chocolate cake. Scents I'm still working on.

Tabby:

I could put in a good word for you at the Institute if you're interested. You could make things more interesting over there. It's been pretty boring in Bayville the last few months.

Ginger:

You'd offer a complete stranger membership into a school for powerful teenagers? How do you know I'm not some evil alien insect queen in disguise who wants to enslave the human race as my personal sex slaves?

Tabby:

What self-respecting alien overlord would start an invasion for sex slaves in this town?

Ginger:

What self-respecting overlord indeed?

Tabby:

You are weird.

Ginger:

Really?

Tabby:

I like weird.

Ginger:

You think I might have what it takes to make at Xavier's?

Tabby:

Sure. One of our teachers reads Shakespeare while standing on the ceiling. You'd fit right in. But you might need a codename.

Ginger:

A codename?

Tabby:

Sure. You're supposed to have one when you're with the X-Men.

Ginger:

X-Men… you go around using your mutant powers to help mankind.

Tabby:

Yep.

Ginger:

Well then how does making tiny explosives supposed to help mankind?

Tabby:

I'm glad they're not as astute as you are.

Ginger:

It's a blessing, and a curse.

Tabby:

My codename's Boom Boom.

Ginger:

What do you think mine should be?

Tabby:

How about "Deadly Nightshade"?

Ginger:

Too gloomy.

Tabby:

"Flower Girl"?

Ginger:

No. I'd sound like a six-year old.

Tabby:

"Poison Ivy"?

Ginger:

Too slutty. And besides, I have other abilities besides plant-based ones.

Tabby:

How about "Jill of All Trades".

Ginger:

…No. And that is last we will ever speak of that.

Tabby:

Okay. Then how about "Super-

Ginger:

NO! Anything but that!

Tabby:

What?

Ginger:

Wrong cartoon.

Tabby:

Ooh, yeah. Hey, how about "May Queen"?

Ginger:

May Queen… it actually sounds interesting. Where'd you get May Queen from?

Tabby:

I remembered reading about it on some stupid internet forum. Something with the word "rose" in it.

Ginger:I'd actually consider using it, although it does make me sound spoiled.

Tabby:

Fine. Then you can call yourself Poison Ivy and you can run around on roof tops in green lingerie. How 'bout that?

Ginger:

…The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!

Ginger starts chasing after a laughing Tabby when all of a sudden it starts to rain 

Ginger:

Crap! Good thing I left the top on my convertible up.

Tabby:

Did you role up the windows?

Ginger:

Yeah, I-Betty!

Tabby:

No, it's Tabby. Ta-be. Say it with me now.

Ginger:

No, I was supposed to meet someone at that bookstore. Maybe she's there now.

(And maybe I'm stupid for thinking she keeps me waiting for two hours and then gets there now. Still…)

Tabby:

We'll talk tomorrow. Right now I gotta get out of this rain.

Ginger racing back to Pollack's :

Nice meeting you!

Tabby calling from the back of the park :

You too!

(Normally I could just stop the rain from falling around me, but it feels nice)

Ginger finally makes her way back to Pollack's only to see that it has closed. She spies around to see if Betty is anywhere around, but no luck. She sighs and heads for her car, parked across from the bookstore. The rain then stops 

Ginger:

That was it? That wasn't so ba-

Tommy surprises Ginger from behind and delivers a blow to her head with his elbow. She almost hit's the sidewalk, but then Harold grabs her wrist and tosses her into an alley. There is no one around on the streets to stop them. Ginger does a nose dive into a pile of garbage. She tries to get up but she is then smacked across the face by Dick. She has no idea what is going on, she can't think straight, and all she can do is scream before she is gagged by Harold 

Harold:

What do we do now?

Tommy:

You heard what Ms. H told us.

Dick:

Whatever we want.

To be continued…

"Believe in miracles, and they will know your feelings"

"You broke my heart, and I never forgave you"

"What does she mean, you break her heart?"

"Poor little Veronica"

Next time on Virtual Star Embryology

"May Queen and the Runaway Prince"

Part II

The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse


	3. 3: May Queen and the Runaway Prince II

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution, Utena, or Harry Potter

Without further ado, I present to you, May Queen and the Runaway Prince Complete

They toss Ginger into the back of the alley. Still disoriented, she can vaguely make out the sound of their laughter, and the sound of something being unzipped. She can't use her powers. She doesn't know what to focus on. Then, the laughter stops when a fourth voice joins in. They act surprised themselves, but their gasps of surprise turn to cries of pain when all three of them are electrocuted by blue lightning. She doesn't know if the screaming is coming from her or from the three. She starts to slowly gain back her clarity. The other three have now fled the alley, and the fourth has just said an obscene cuss towards them. The fourth then turns towards Ginger 

Boy:  
-right?

Ginger:  
Wha-?

Boy:  
-you alright?

Ginger:  
I, I can't…

Boy:  
I said are you alright?

Ginger is now able to see clearly. The fourth boy, the one who has saved her, has clear blue eyes, and such weird looking hair. The front is made up of orange spikes, but the back is blonde and cut short. He has a kind smile. Ginger, unsure of what to do, starts crying and falls into his arms 

Ginger crying :  
Thank you.

(This is…so familiar…like I know him. But now…I want to hold on and never let go)

Boy:  
Come on. Get up. Are you able to walk?

Ginger:  
Y-yeah.

Ginger shakily starts to stand. The boy takes off his jacket and wraps it around her 

Ginger:  
Just help me to my car.

Boy:  
You're in no condition to drive. Where do you live?

Ginger:  
Please, you don't have to.

Boy:  
You were just attacked and almost gang raped. Letting someone in your state behind the wheel of a car is like lighting dynamite.

(He's stubborn. Thank God)

Ginger leads the boy to her convertible 

Boy:  
Is this your car?

Ginger:  
Yes.

Boy:  
Did they take anything from you? Your keys? Wallet? Cell phone?

Ginger:  
No. They just…pounced on me.

Boy:  
Give me the keys. I'll drive.

Ginger unlocks the car and gets into the passenger seat. She unlocks the door to the driver's seat and motions the boy to get in. After doing so, he starts the engine 

Boy:  
Where do you live?

Ginger:  
Right now? The Sister Grimhilde school.

Boy:  
Alright then.

Ginger:  
Do you know where that is?

Boy:  
Yeah.

Ginger:  
Can I trust you won't drive off?

Boy:  
Little late for asking about trust, don't you think?

(He didn't drive off, he drove me directly to the school. He helped me out and led me to the Nurse's Office. Principal Stonewall threw a fit when she found out what happened. She was already running ragged making sure I wasn't expelled. She contacted the police, and she demanded that they track down the boys who did it, despite me being a "freak". As it turns out, Betty really wasn't feeling well after what Veronica did to her. She tried calling me, but apparently my cell phone battery had died. I need to recharge that thing as soon as possible. Betty, as well as Anya, Rachel, and the other girls were at my side when the heard what happened. And the boy. The boy never left me for a minute. I feel like I'm in a bad soap opera, with predictable twists and bad acting, except this is real)

Meanwhile, at the park

Ms. H is currently conversing with the Girl whom Ginger saved the other day. Ms. H is no longer wearing the trench coat, but is instead wearing a gray one-piece suit with rings of red, orange, and white around the sleeves, ankles, and collar, along with a mask matching the design 

Ms. H:  
She's vulnerable now. When are you going to…

Girl:  
She may be vulnerable, but we have to wait. She needs to be completely shocked.

Ms. H:  
So she doesn't suspect that…

Girl:  
No, at least not fully. All she feels is something she lost, long ago.

Ms. H:  
And what about the other girl? The brat?

Girl:  
That will wait until tomorrow night.

Ms. H:  
That's when I step in to give her my helping hand.

Girl:  
Yes. The people in this world who think they have everything under their control are always more malleable when the veil is removed from their eyes.

Ms. H:  
You think you know everything.

Girl:  
No. I just know what I'm told.

Ms. H:  
She thinks her life has been turned into a soap opera. Wait till she finds out what real drama is like.

Girl:  
You're so cruel, Hypnotia.

Saturday

The SKU News Room

E-Ko:  
I've got a big scoop! A girl was beaten up and almost gang raped early last evening by a group of three boys.

F-Ko:  
The boys in question are Thomas February, Harold Floyd, and Dick Knight. All three are seventeen year-old seniors on the varsity football team at Bayville High. They were arrested in a bar near where the crime took place a few hours after the assault took place. The girl in question was one Ginger Anderson, sixteen, who has just started attending the nearby Sister Grimhilde Academy for Girls, also in Bayville.

E-Ko:  
What could bring boys of their age to do such a thing?

F-Ko:  
We now go over to A-Ko, who has just received information pertaining to the attack. A-Ko?

A-Ko:  
Thank you, F-Ko. My sources tell me that all three boys failed a drug test that was administered at police headquarters. Further investigation led to the discovery of various performance enhancing pills and steroids in the homes of all three boys, as well as in their lockers at Bayville High and in the Boys Locker Room. Their parents were shocked to say the least, although B-Ko and our cameragirl are suing for mental scarring for what transpired when we tried to interview the father and mother of Thomas February.

E-Ko:  
Let's go to the tape.

F-Ko takes out a videotape and places it in a VCR 

F-Ko:  
Here, we, go!

The screen cuts to B-Ko, followed by the cameragirl, walking up to the home of the Februarys. B-Ko knocks on the door, and is answered by Mr. February, Tommy's father. He is a burly man in his early fifties, with brown hair now turning gray at the temples. He's also in his robe 

B-Ko footage :  
Hello, sir. I'm with SKU News on Channel Seven. I was wondering if you could tell us about your-

Mr. February begins to scream obscene curses towards B-Ko and the cameragirl and starts to run after the two. The cameragirl drops the camera, and the footage now shows the…backside of Mr. February before it goes to static 

F-Ko:  
Were we even allowed to show that part on air?

E-Ko:  
It's not like it was anything that bad.

F-Ko:  
You say that now…

E-Ko:  
So, A-Ko, was this attack merely the result of what some may call "'roid rage"?

A-Ko:  
It would appear so, as each of the three boys had trouble recalling the events of the attack, despite the fact that there were three witnesses. On a side note, the boys have refused to reveal who had been supplying them with the mentioned performance enhancers.

E-Ko:  
Did they give a statement?

A-Ko:  
Just one. It was, well, it was…

E-Ko:  
Yes…?

A-Ko whispers it into E-Ko's ear, who immediately falls out of her seat 

A-Ko:  
Sorry. Anyway, who were the witnesses to this crime F-Ko?

F-Ko:  
Just three, like I've said. The first is an elderly woman had been passing by at the time. A Ms. Dorothy Kirby, age 73. She had been walking down the street when she was run down by the three as they were making their escape. She's currently in the hospital with a broken tibia. The second was a school teacher on vacation, one Ms. Bess Weiss, age 39. She couldn't be pressed for comment, but did tell us that she saw the three skulking around at a nearby park where the victim had spent some time, indicating that this was pre-meditated.

A-Ko:  
And the third?

F-Ko:  
This is where it gets interesting. The third was a teenage boy who prevented the three from doing any more damage then they already did. He even had the compassion of driving the girl back to her school and making sure she got medical attention.

A-Ko:  
What a prince!

F-Ko:  
Yes, if only I could meet someone like that.

A-Ko:  
What was the boy's name?

F-Ko:  
Oh, it's-

C-Ko:  
Extra! Extra! Extra!

F-Ko is handed a memo by off-screen C-Ko. F-Ko reads it over 

F-Ko:  
Are you sure? This really doesn't-

C-Ko off-screen :  
Just read it!

F-Ko:  
Okay! Geez, attitude much? In a unrelated story, late last night a meteor had crash-landed near a R&D lab belonging to Hammer Industries. Can we get a picture of the crater?

A picture of a smoking crater flashes on screen 

F-Ko:  
The crater it was found in is estimated to be about 50 miles wide and a 25 miles deep. The meteor was deemed property of Hammer Industries by it's founder and CEO, Justin Hammer, who stated that it's "contents and origins would be further examined for the betterment of mankind". Hammer himself could not be paused for comment.

A-Ko:  
…what was THAT about? What did that have to do with Ginger Anderson's attack.

F-Ko:  
I have no idea. C-Ko, what relevance did that have to our current story?

Below the screen, the words "Paid For By Hammer Industries" quickly passes by 

F-Ko:  
What was that?! "Paid for by Hammer Industries"?!

C-Ko:  
Well they paid a lot.

F-Ko:  
I thought we agreed this wasn't about the money!

C-Ko:  
No, you agreed. I never said anything of the sort.

F-Ko:  
How could you sell out like that?!

A-Ko:  
Uh, girls?

C-Ko:  
When the check has more zeroes then I can count, that's how!

F-Ko:  
Oh, you mean past one?

A-Ko:  
Girls?

C-Ko:  
Ha! At least my skirt size is made up of one number!

F-Ko:  
Well what about Ginger Anderson? She almost get's raped and that doesn't count as much your pay, does it?!

C-Ko:  
Oh, yeah?!

F-Ko:  
Yeah!

C-Ko:  
OH YEAH?!

F-Ko:  
YEAH!

A-Ko:  
GIRLS!!!!!!!!

C-Ko have just jumped into F-Ko's arms and both have backed into a corner 

A-Ko:  
We're out of time.

F-Ko:  
Oh. Well then, join us again tonight for the six o'clock news and then again for the eight o'clock news. Until then, this has been F-Ko.

C-Ko:  
C-Ko!

A-Ko:  
And A-Ko! Here at SKU News on Channel Seven, bringing you…

A-Ko, C-Ko, and F-Ko:  
The Eight AM News!

A-Ko:  
Say, F-Ko, you never did tell us that boy's name.

C-Ko:  
Yeah, what is it?

F-Ko:  
Oh, it's-

The screen turns to static 

Sister Grimhilde School, Infirmary

Nurse Milligan:  
Oh! You're awake.

Ginger Half-Asleep :  
What time is it?

Nurse Milligan:  
It's noon, Saturday. How are you feeling?

Ginger:  
Groggy. Tired.

Nurse Milligan:  
Are you feeling any pain? Anywhere at all?

Ginger Fully Awake :  
I have a headache if that counts for anything. Wait, where's the boy?

Nurse Milligan:  
He left a little while ago, dear. But he did tell me to give you this when you wake up.

Nurse Milligan hands Ginger a slip of paper. It has a phone number and an address written on it, along with a message "Ask for Berzerker" 

Ginger:  
Berzerker?

Nurse Milligan:  
Sounds to me like that boy reads too many comic books. But he was so sweet. He absolutely refused to leave your side while you were sleeping.

Ginger:  
He spent the entire night?

Nurse Milligan:  
Now, Miss Anderson, the police will be wanting to ask some questions, about the boys who attacked you.

Ginger:  
Did they catch the boys who attacked me?

Nurse Milligan:  
As a matter of fact, yes. It turns out it was some boys from the public high school. On drugs, they say. Pity, really.

Ginger:  
They don't need to do a rape kit, do they?

Nurse Milligan:  
Oh not at all. Your clothes were intake when you were brought in, so were your underwear-

Ginger:  
I was undressed?

Nurse Milligan:  
Privately. I had to inspect for cuts and bruises along that area, but there were no injuries I could find. Did they…?

Ginger:  
They didn't have a chance. Do I need to go to the hospital?

Nurse Milligan:  
No. You haven't been injured that severely. You're a very lucky girl, Miss Anderson. It was a miracle that boy came along when he did.

Ginger:  
I'd…like to talk to him.

Nurse Milligan:  
Of course. But before you do, maybe you'd like to call your parents? Your mother and father sounded so frantic over the phone.

Ginger:  
They both called?

Nurse Milligan:  
Oh yes, several times. While you were asleep. Principal Stonewall was having such a hard time trying to calm your mother down on the phone, and she was looking pretty hectic as it was. Your father did, however, want to tell you he would be coming to see you on Monday and apologized in advance because of the delay.

Ginger:  
Thank you. Could I have the phone?

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Voice on Phone:  
Hello?

Ginger:  
Hello? Is Berzerker there?

Voice on Phone:  
Hold on.

Over the phone, Ginger can hear the girl on the other end calling for someone, then the phone exchange hands 

Berzerker On Phone :  
Hello?

Ginger:  
Is this Berzerker? I got your message.

Berzerker On Phone :  
Oh! How are you feeling?

Ginger:  
Alright, thank you for asking…listen, I wanted to ask if I could talk to you later.

Berzerker On Phone :  
You want me to come to the school? You feeling up to it?

Ginger:  
Yeah. Could you meet me at the front of the school around 4:00?

Berzerker On Phone :  
Sure.

Ginger:  
Oh and, thank you for getting my car back for me.

Berzerker On Phone :  
Actually I crashed it into a tree.

Ginger:  
What?!

Berzerker On Phone :  
…just kidding.

A Little While Later

Ginger:  
Is he here yet?

Nurse Milligan:  
I'll go check.

Outside the school gates a jeep, being driven by Berzerker pulls up. In the passenger seat is the Brazilian mutant Amara Aquila, a.k.a. Magma 

Berzerker:  
You didn't have to come with me, Amara.

Amara:  
Don't be silly. I want to meet the girl whose life you saved.

Berzerker:  
Well maybe you should wait in the nurses office.

Amara:  
That worried I might say the wrong thing? I didn't realize the lovable Mr. Berzerker started caring what other people thought. Could it be he's turning into a-

Amara stops short when Berzerker's hands start to charge up 

Berzerker:  
Anything else.

Amara nervous :  
Nothing, nothing.

In the Infirmary

Ginger:  
You came.

Berzerker:  
Glad you're feeling better.

Ginger:  
Thanks. Could you leave us alone for a minute, Nurse Milligan.

Nurse Milligan:  
Of course.

The Nurse exit's the infirmary into the hall, where Amara has her ear to the wall 

Nurse Milligan:  
And just what do you think you're doing?

Amara:  
Uh, I, was just-

Nurse Milligan:  
Move over.

Nurse Milligan puts her ear to the wall next to Amara 

Berzerker:  
So, you wanted to talk?

Ginger:  
Yes. Please, sit down.

Berzerker takes a seat next to Ginger's bed 

(Why does he seem so familiar to me? It's something I can't place my finger on, but…)

Berzerker:  
So…anything on your mind?

Ginger:  
Yes. I wanted to say thank you.

Berzerker:  
You already did last night.

Ginger:  
No. I wanted to do it to your face, not half-conscious, not over the phone, right here.

Berzerker:  
Well, it's no big deal. Anyone with a half a brain would've done the same thing.

Ginger:  
You remind me of someone. A boy I used to know, I'm sure of it.

Berzerker:  
A boy?

Ginger:  
You have the same eyes. Oh God listen to me, I'm going on like some old lady at the supermarket.

Berzerker:  
It's alright. Please, go on.

Amara:  
This is the first I've ever heard Ray acting so prince-like. Wait till the others hear.

Nurse Milligan:  
Are you really going to embarrass that sweet boy?

Amara:  
This coming from the 60-something eavesdropping on an assault victim.

Nurse Milligan:  
How dare you! I'll have you know I am a 50-something.

Amara:  
Shh! I can't hear what they're saying.

Ginger:  
I can hear you out there!

Amara & Nurse Milligan:  
Eep!

Ginger:  
Anyway, a few years ago, I used to be in love with a boy in my neighborhood. His parents, or should I say his father, fought a lot, so he'd hang around my mom's house until his dad calmed down. He used to protect from the neighborhood bullies who'd bother me or my friends. I'd help him out with his homework and I'd keep him out of trouble with the older boys by knocking some sense into his thick skull. This one time, this kid who lived up the block started teasing this dog, and when he tried to stop it we both got bit. I had to get nine stitches on my leg. It's clichéd, I know, but I really liked him, and he felt the same way. When I was thirteen, he told me that he loved me, and then we started going out, but…

Berzerker:  
But?

Amara:  
But?

Ginger:  
Well, one morning I found out he ran away from home. His mom had been visiting her parents when it happened, and all his dad told me was that he had no son.

Berzerker:  
Guy sounds like a real winner. So what happened after that?

Ginger:  
I called the police, there was a big search party, and the investigation went on for at least six months until the police labeled him as another of America's homeless. His mom was never the same after that, and she got sick. His dad acted like nothing ever happened. I started to think that what happened was my fault, that maybe he ran away because I didn't help him, and then I started to resent him.

Ginger begins to clutch the sheets of the bed 

Ginger:  
Despite everything he meant to me, that sense of abandonment I had stayed. It got worse after I was forced to move back in with my dad and Doreen. So I became a different person. I stopped caring what others thought of me and stopped thinking about boys altogether. You should've seen the look on my stepmother's face when I learned I was a mutant. I'm pretty sure she had an aneurysm since she couldn't scream.

Berzerker:  
She can't scream?

Ginger:  
Botox.

Berzerker laughing :  
Ah. Well, you shouldn't let what one boy did to you back then mess up your life. So he ran out, so what? You deserve someone better then that.

Ginger:  
You're very sweet to say that, Berzerker. I just realized, you never told me your real name.

Berzerker:  
It's Ray. Ray Crisp.

(What?!)

Ginger falls out of the bed, her eyes wide with shock 

Ray:  
What is it? Something wrong?

(How? How, damn it?!)

Ginger:  
Do you still have it?

Ray:  
Have what?

Ginger:  
That scar on your left arm.

Ray:  
How'd you know I have a scar on my arm?

Ginger:  
Because, Ray, we both got our stitches at the same time after Mr. Sanbourn's dog bit us.

Amara:  
What is going on?

Ray has an equal look of shock on his face, but Ginger's face now has a look of unparalleled anger 

Ray:  
No…you couldn't be…not her.

Ginger:  
Hello, Ray. It's me, Ginger Walker. I'd say I'm surprised you didn't recognize me, but I didn't recognize you, considering how much you've changed, especially that hair of yours. I knew there was something familiar about your eyes. To clear anything up, I was also forced to take my father's last name when I moved in with him. And now I have something that I've been meaning to say to you for the last three years.

Ginger gets up and slaps Ray in the face 

Ginger:  
You son of a bitch!

Ray begins to rub the red mark on his cheek 

Ginger:  
What gave you the right to just disappear like that?! Do you have any idea what you running away did to your mom?! She spent the last three years in a hospital bed in Vermont! What it did to me, worrying every night if you were even alive?! I almost went crazy wondering where you went!

Ray:  
And just what the hell do you know?! I ran away because my father threw me out of the house when my powers manifested! He beat me within an inch of my life that night!

Ginger:  
Then why didn't you just come to me? You knew mom and I were willing to give you a place to stay if your dad ever pulled a stunt like that. Why didn't you call the police?

Ray:  
Like that worked so well the last time!

Ginger:  
And just what have you been doing since you left, Ray? Why didn't you try to get back in touch with me or your mom?

Ray:  
I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else!

Ginger:  
You owe me that Ray. I at least have the right to know where you've been living. You broke my heart, and I never forgave you.

Ray remains silent 

Ginger:  
Then just get out of my sight.

Ray:  
But-

Ginger:  
I said get out!

Ray hesitates at first, then walks out of the room with a scowl on his face. Amara, as well as Nurse Milligan, have their ears to the wall. When Ray exits, both Amara and the Nurse look concerned 

Amara:  
What was that about?

Ray:  
Let's just go.

Amara:  
But Ray…

Ray:  
Now.

In the room, Ginger falls to her knees and stares listlessly at the ceiling. And somewhere, someone has just watched the little soap opera through a pair of opera glasses. In her hands is a Rose Crest 

Girl:  
She's ready.

Over in another dormitory, Veronica has started destroying her room. Books and clothes lay all over the floor, posters have been ripped from the wall, and a hanging mirror lay in pieces all over a dresser. She now has a designer dress in her hands which she is trying to rip up 

Veronica:  
That bitch! That attention-grabbing bitch!

Once she discovers she can't do it, she falls to her knees and starts to cry when Hypnotia enters the room 

Hypnotia:  
Poor little Veronica.

Veronica:  
Wh-who are you?

Hypnotia:  
The answer to your prayers.

Sunset

Over at Ginger's dormitory, she is lying on her bed and looking up at the darkness, contemplating what she has learned, when there is a knock at the door 

Ginger:  
Who is it?

Girl:  
It's me, BLEEEEEP.

Ginger:  
It's open.

The Girl enters the room 

Girl:  
Why is it so dark in here?

Ginger:  
No reason. Hey, I've been wondering where you went after that accident.

Girl:  
I've been around.

Ginger:  
Oh.

Girl:  
Is it okay if I turn on a light in here. Staring in the dark is bad for your eyes.

Ginger:  
Knock yourself out.

The Girl flips on a light switch 

Girl:  
That's much better. Where are your roommates?

Ginger:  
They went to visit their parents for the weekend like most of the other girls.

Girl:  
Why didn't you go?

Ginger:  
Mine are away on business. Why didn't you go?

Girl:  
I don't have any parents to speak of, and my brother is another continent away.

Ginger:  
I'm sorry. Don't you get lonely?

Girl:  
I like the time to myself. The peace is a nice comfort compared to the hectic student life. Anyway, I heard about what happened. I wanted to say I'm sorry.

Ginger:  
Thanks. I've been getting that a lot today, but those boys really didn't do much.

Girl:  
I mean about meeting your ex-boyfriend.

Ginger:  
What? How did you hear about that?

Girl:  
I hear and see a lot around here. I'm very observant.

Ginger:  
Well, thank you anyway.

Girl:  
You don't have to pretend.

Ginger:  
What?

Girl:  
It's been eating you up inside, hasn't it?

Ginger:  
You have no idea.

Girl:  
No, I too know what it means to suddenly find the man you were once in love with after so long. But that isn't what's really bothering you, is it?

(How does she know all this? Oh what do I care anymore)

Ginger:  
No.

Girl:  
Then what is it? You can tell me.

Ginger:  
He completely forgot about me. We meant so much to each other, and now he acts like I never existed.

Girl:  
And you were just starting to forget about him.

Ginger:  
No. I…I never did forget about him. He taught me to be a better person, and I used that, despite the fact that it hurt to think about him. But I rarely did. And now…

Girl:  
And now…?

Ginger crying :  
And now he's moved on, with a new life. I want to hate him. I want to hate him so much, but I can't! No matter how much I just can't! I want to know where he's been, what's he done, but I can't bring myself to talk to him, to even look at him.

The Girl sits down on the bed next to Ginger, and places her hand on her cheek 

Ginger:  
I'm sorry, I'm not usually this emotional.

Girl:  
It's okay to get emotional, you have the right to. Poor Ginger. You care about him so much, but those memories bring you pain. So…

Ginger:  
So…?

Girl:  
I guess you have no choice.

The Girl wipes the tears from Ginger's eyes and takes her hand 

Girl:  
I have something for you. Here…

The Girl takes a Rose Crest ring from her pocket and places it into Ginger's palm 

Girl:  
My gift, to you. This ring qualifies you as a duelist for the right to the power to revolutionize the world. The power to regain the love you lost so long ago. There are people who will challenge you, evil people. It is your duty to fight them, lest they win this miraculous power and bring ruin. Goodbye…

The Girl heads for the door, but turns her head to Ginger as she leaves 

Girl:  
Ginger Anderson, age sixteen. The path you must take has been prepared.

The Girl leaves the room. Ginger sits up and looks at the ring in her hand, but all she can do is cry 

(Why does she taunt me?)

The Xavier Institute

Ray and Amara are currently arguing with one another in the garage about what to do about Ginger Anderson. Ray's cheek is still bruised from when he was slapped 

Amara:  
Ray, you have to go back and talk to her.

Ray:  
Well I don't know what to say to her, it's been so long.

Amara:  
What did she mean when she said you broke her heart.

Ray:  
Three years ago, before I came to Xavier's, that girl and I, we were…y'know.

Amara:  
In love. I heard.

Ray:  
When I ran away I didn't have to guts to face her, so I just left.

Amara:  
Well it's no wonder she's mad then! What gave you the right to run out on her?

Ray:  
And what exactly gives you the right to psycho-analyze me, Amara? You don't know what kind of a home I had before I came here.

Amara:  
If it made you live with the Morlocks it must've been pretty awful.

Ray:  
You have no idea. My father was a real bastard, and my mom did whatever she could to stay out of his way.

Amara:  
But that is beside the point. She needs closure. When a girl is left scarred like that it can effect her view of the world. Tabby talked to me about her last night.

Ray:  
She slapped me, which by the way still hurts.

Amara:  
Please, you make the rest of want to do worse things on your good days.

Ray:  
And how do I know that she hasn't had plenty of boyfriends since I left? She's probably gone through more boys then even Beast could count.

Amara:  
That's cold, Ray, even for you.

Ray:  
…yeah, you're right. Still, what do I say? Three years and I didn't even recognize her. I mean it's pretty obvious why she didn't recognize me…

Amara:  
Stop making excuses and just go. Or I'll drag you there by your spikes.

Ray:  
You wouldn't!

Amara's hands begin to flare up as Ray's hands charge up 

Amara:  
Wanna try me?

Both charge down 

Ray:  
God, Amara, you can be a real pain.

Amara:  
It's the price I pay for having you for a friend.

Ray:  
I'll talk to her tomorrow.

Amara:  
Just be sure to do it soon. I'm going to bed. Night.

Ray:  
Night.

As Amara leaves the garage, Ray just stands there in the darkness to contemplate what has just occurred. Meanwhile, Amara is greeted by Jean Grey, resident psychic of the Xavier Institute 

Jean:  
Amara has Ray come back yet?

Amara:  
Yeah but he's sulking in the garage.

Jean:  
Why?

Amara:  
You won't believe this. It turns out that girl he saved was an ex-girlfriend. Can you believe it? She's still mad at him for disappearing.

Jean:  
That girl he saved, Tabitha mentioned that she's a mutant, right?

Amara:  
Yeah, why? Is the Professor looking to recruit her?

Jean:  
Maybe. It's odd, really. Cerebro hasn't detected any new mutants in the area for a while now.

Amara:  
Well she just moved here a while ago.

Jean:  
But the Professor did a scan this morning and nothing.

Amara:  
That's impossible, right? Cerebro's one of the most advanced computers on the planet-

And somewhere, a girl has just gone HA! 

Amara:  
-and the Professor is like the strongest telepath around, right?

Jean:  
That's what makes this so weird.

Amara:  
Well if you're going to investigate, maybe you should put it off for a while. That girl has got enough drama going on for one week.

And speak of the devil. Currently, back at the school, Ginger receives a knock at the door. She's still in the bed, with her face buried in the pillows. The Rose Crest ring is clenched in her fist 

Ginger:  
Go away.

The knocking persists 

Ginger:  
I said go away!

The knocking persists still. Realizing they aren't giving up, Ginger goes to the door and answers whoever is behind it 

Ginger:  
What do you want?

Girl:  
Are you Miss Anderson?

Ginger:  
Who wants to know?

Girl:  
My name is Shiori Takatsuki. I'm a ninth grader.

Ginger:  
What can I help you with Shiori?

Shiori:  
Veronica Cooper would like to meet you in the gymnasium, right now.

Ginger:  
Tell Veronica I'm not in the mood.

Ginger starts to close the door, but Shiori prevents her 

Shiori:  
Ginger, she really needs to see you. And I mean really.

Ginger:  
Well I really don't care!

Shiori:  
You aren't getting the message I am trying to tell you. When I say "really", I mean she is going to do something very, very, stupid if you don't show up.

Ginger:  
…you aren't going to leave until I go with you, are you?

Shiori nods 

Ginger sighing :  
Fine. Let's go.

(God what the hell is her problem. As if I wasn't having a bad enough night)

Over at the Gymnasium, Veronica is waiting in the center with Betty Lodge. The Gymnasium is one of the parts of the school that had recently been renovated. Ginger and Shiori enter the gym. Ginger notices that Betty is scared beyond belief 

Ginger:  
Betty? What is going on?

Shiori:  
I brought her like you asked.

Veronica:  
Come over here, Shiori.

Ginger:  
Veronica what is this? I'm not in the-

Veronica:  
Shut up!

Ginger notices that the look on Veronica's face is much colder than she has ever noticed. Betty looks as if she is about to cry. Shiori walks up to Veronica, who then whispers something into her ear and then hands her something. Shiori nods her head and walks back to Ginger. The thing in her hand is a letter, with the same seal as the Rose Crest ring 

Shiori:  
For you.

Ginger:  
This is-

Veronica:  
You served your purpose, now go!

Shiori:  
Please don't kill me!

Veronica:  
Go!

(What the-)

Veronica moves her hands to reveal that she has a gun aimed at Betty's back. Shiori runs out of the gym 

Ginger:  
Is that real?

Veronica:  
Read the letter.

Ginger:  
Is that thing real or-

Veronica:  
Read. The. Letter.

Ginger notices that Veronica has the same Rose Crest on her hand. Doing as she is told, Ginger opens the envelope and reads the letter 

Letter:  
Dear Ginger Anderson,

The letter reads the same as the one Ebony Dent received, except there is a special, added rule just for Ginger 

Letter:  
You shall not use your mutant abilities in a duel.

Signed, End of the World.

Ginger:  
"End of the World". Is this a joke, Veronica?

Veronica:  
Put the ring on now, or she dies.

(I can get the gun out of her hands if I concentrate long enough)

Ginger tries to will the gun out of Veronica's hands, but nothing. Even though she is not as skilled as she would want to be, applying simple force to metal has something she has always been capable of doing. But no matter how hard she tries, nothing 

Ginger:  
That gun. Is it-

Veronica:  
And don't bother trying to touch me with your powers, or else-

Ginger:  
Or else what, you'll kill Betty?

A large boom is heard and the ground starts to shake violently 

Veronica:  
That was the cafeteria. Now put the ring on and don't try anything stupid or the science lab is next!

Ginger shocked :  
What did you do?

Veronica:  
I didn't do anything. But the person who gave me this is willing to do a lot worse if you don't duel me.

(Crap. What the hell is going on? Is that Girl responsible?)

Ginger:  
Let Betty go and I'll fight you, Veronica.

Veronica:  
She's in shock, anyway.

Veronica tosses Betty over to the bleachers 

Veronica:  
Not like she can run.

Ginger:  
Where are our swords?

Veronica:  
Look to your right.

Ginger turns her head towards a case of swords, left over from the school's fencing club. On one of them is an orange rose 

Veronica:  
Put your ring on first.

Ginger:  
You're honestly going through with this?

Veronica points the gun at Ginger 

Veronica:  
Do it.

Ginger:  
Fine.

Ginger, hesitantly, takes the ring and puts it on her finger. With that being done, she walks over to the display case and takes out the sword with the rose on it. Veronica has already put her rose on, and has readied herself for battle 

(I hope everyone else is alright. May God forgive me if I've started something dangerous)

Ginger pins the rose to her shirt, and readies herself with the sword 

Ginger:  
Well?

Veronica:  
One more thing.

Veronica tosses the gun over at the bleachers, and the sound of alarms and bells, louder then the alarms that went off when the explosion was heard, start. Once Ginger sees Veronica toss the gun, she lunges at her with the sword aimed at her rose, but she misses and nearly trips. She recomposes herself and does a stance. Veronica is grim and cold, and lunges at Ginger, who does a defensive block. The two start swinging their blades at one another 

Ginger:  
Why are you doing this Veronica?! Is popularity that important to you?!

Veronica:  
Don't be stupid! I'm doing this for my own self worth!

Veronica takes a swipe at Ginger's rose, but narrowly misses and lops off a few strands of Ginger's hair 

Ginger:  
And who told you that killing people would give you self worth?!

Veronica:  
Don't preach to me like you know everything!

Ginger is trying her best, but she is afraid of what might happen if she uses her powers. She wonders about the person whom Veronica is working with, if it might be that girl, the mysterious End of the World, or someone else. Or this could all be an elaborate prank Veronica has set up to humiliate Ginger. But she isn't taking the chance. At this moment of self thought, Ginger tries to force Veronica back, but she kicks her down on the ground and knocks her sword out of her hand 

Veronica:  
It wasn't enough that you stole my spotlight, but you made them realize that I have nothing!

Ginger:  
Maybe if you weren't such a bitch people would like you better!

Veronica:  
In this world only the strong survive, and if I have to kill you just to prove my superiority and gain their love then fine! One less insect to step on!

Ginger:  
Who's been telling you these things Veronica?! Was it that girl? This is high school, not the jungle. Are you even going to see any of these people four years from now?

Veronica:  
Don't try to confuse me!

(She's insane)

Veronica lets out a war cry and sends her blade down towards Ginger's chest. Ginger dodges the blade, causing it to come down on the floor and snap in half. Ginger grabs her blade off the floor and cuts off Veronica's rose. The petals scatter. The bells and alarms go off again, signaling the end of the rather insane duel 

Ginger:  
Veronica…

Veronica stands up and straight, turns around to the bleachers where Betty is still laying in shock, and calmly walks over, dropping the sword. She then bends down and picks up the gun, and puts her finger on the trigger 

Ginger:  
NO!

Ginger throws herself at Veronica and wrestles for control of the gun, as Betty stares aimlessly into space, and from a dark corner, Shiori is watching as well 

Ginger:  
Don't be an idiot!

Veronica is trying her hardest, but so is Ginger and in the mad struggle. And in the madness, the gun goes off, wounding Veronica in the shoulder. She lays there on the floor, grasping her shoulder and crying. All Ginger can do is helplessly watch as she bleeds, not believing what is going on when, finally, policemen enter the gym 

(What have I got myself into?)

Meanwhile, Shiori is waiting in front of the school gates as police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances start to enter the school to put out the fire. Shiori is talking on a cell phone 

Shiori:  
Was it necessary to make that girl shoot herself?

Voice on Phone:  
Are you having regrets, Shiori? If you are, I-

Shiori:  
No. I just…I didn't expect that outcome, that's all. Hypnotia, she is so…

Voice on Phone:  
So what?

Shiori:  
Nothing.

Shiori examines the Rose Crest on her left hand 

Shiori:  
Shall I be heading home?

Voice on Phone:  
Yes, let Mitsuru take his turn.

Shiori:  
Why are trusting such responsibility with that boy? He's a brat.

Voice on Phone:  
My reasons.

Shiori:  
Oh yes, your mysterious air.

The red convertible pulls up on the curb 

Shiori:  
My ride is here.

Voice on Phone:  
I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye.

Shiori:  
Bye.

Shiori hangs up the payphone and walks over to the convertible. The Girl is in the driver's seat, and Hypnotia is in the back. Shiori gets in the front next to the Girl 

Hypnotia:  
Believe in miracles, and they will now your feelings. Your words, correct? It was a miracle she didn't kill both of them.

Shiori:  
You are so cruel.

Hypnotia:  
Sticks and stones…

Girl:  
Do you know where we are going?

Shiori:  
To the End of the World.

To be continued…  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Next time

"Gold Shawson, age fourteen, Gryffindor House. Nicole de Laurette, age fourteen, Slytherin House."

"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin best friends? Crazy!"

"Whenever one of us gets into trouble, we always help the other, right? Right! After all, what are best friends for?"

"The light from our home universe, it's here"

Gold:  
Next time on Virtual Star Embryology

"The Frog and the Snake"

Nicole:  
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse


	4. 4: Frog and the Snake I

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters created by J.K. Rowling, nor do I own Utena. However, I do own Gold Shawson, Nicole de Laurette, and Ginger Anderson (which I should've mentioned in the other chapters).

**Edit 1: I goofed up the timeline. I'm so ashamed to call myself a Harry Potter fan.**

Without further ado, I present the first part of Part Three: The Frog and the Snake. Please, read and tell me your thoughts.

The Frog and the Snake Part I

(What is it about this world that makes me feel so…out of place?)

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Gryffindor Dorm, Girls Wing

There is still one girl sleeping in bed, even though the others have already left. However, there is another person in the room as well. She slowly creeps up towards the girl's bed, her shadow ever so ebbing closer until it has fully enveloped the sleeping girl. The sleeping girl begins to open her eyes, but even half asleep she has now sensed the presence of the strange girl. The shadowy girl reveals from her robes her wand and raises right in the face of the poor girl in the bed. The girl lets out a startled cry for help, but it is too late

Nicole:

AGUAMENTI!

A sharp jet of ice cold water heads straight for Gold's face. She is now soaking wet. Nicole cannot help but laughing out loud when Gold forms a smirk on her face and takes out her wand. Nicole stops dead in her tracks

Nicole:

Now, hold on a-

Gold:

FERULA!

Bandages shoot out of Gold's wand and wrap themselves all over Nicole's face

Nicole:

…you think you're _so_ funny.

Gold:

It's just something I learned from you.

Gold begins to dry off and get dressed while Nicole tries to get out of the bandages

Gold brushing her wavy, black hair :

How did you get in here anyway, Nicole?

Nicole struggling :

You, mmph, gave me the password, remember?

Gold snaps the brush in half in her hand

(I knew that would come back to haunt me)

Gold:

But you know it's against the rules for students to be in another's house dorm.

Nicole:

Since when have I ever listened to the rules?

Gold takes her wand and repairs the brush

Gold:

Good point.

Gold starts to get dressed in her school robes

Gold:

Do you mind?

Nicole:

Why? It's not like you've got anything I don't have.

Gold:

I know, I just don't want you getting jealous.

Nicole:

Jealous of what?

Gold:

What you've lacked to fill in.

Nicole begins to fume

Nicole:

You are an EVIL one, Gold Shawson.

Gold giggling :

Five minutes?

Nicole:

Alright. But don't disappear into a wardrobe or something.

Gold:

Do cupboards count?

Nicole:

Yes.

Gold:

Damn!

Nicole is now waiting outside the portrait of the Fat Lady

Nicole:

She is a completely different person in the morning, I'll tell you.

The Fat Lady:

You do know that you didn't have permission to go in there.

Nicole:

You weren't complaining when I went in.

The Fat Lady:

I was asleep.

Nicole:

I didn't know that was the word for "hung-over" these days.

The Fat Lady lets out a sound of disgust when she swings open

Gold:

Ready!

Gold steps out of the portrait. She is now fully dressed in her school robes and is completely dried

Gold:

Let's go get some breakfast. I'm starved.

Nicole:

Breakfast is over, Goldie. You slept through it.

Gold:

What?

Nicole:

By my mark the second half of Potions should've started right, about… now.

Gold:

YOU MEAN IT'S _THAT_ LATE?!

The two dash down the hall in a whirlwind, leaving some students and teachers in their dust. They finally make their way to the Potions Dungeon on one of the basement floors of the castle. Potions is generally one of the least popular classes in Hogwarts, mainly because of the man who teaches it. Professor Severus Snape, who also happens to be head of Slytherin House, Nicole's house. Snape is known for his greasy black hair, hook nose, sallow skin, and uneven, filthy teeth. He is an unpleasant man who shows favoritism towards the students of his house, and has an absolute disdain for a certain fifth year with glasses and a scar on his forehead. But this is not that student's story. Moving on, Nicole and Gold has both made it to the dark classroom, where Snape is standing in front of the class and is looking very annoyed

Snape:

It took you two long enough.

Gold winded :

Sorry, Professor-

Snape:

Save it. Fifty points from Gryffindor for holding up my lesson and having to make Miss Laurette leave to get you.

The Gryffindor students all groan

Gold:

But-!

Snape:

Please take your seats so we can finally start. Any questions?

Gold:

No Professor Snape.

Snape:

Good. Oh, and Miss Laurette?

Nicole:

Yes Professor Snape?

Snape:

Must I keep reminding you about that hair of yours?

Nicole:

Oh? And what about my hair?

Snape:

This a Potions classroom. With hair that long you are prone to cause an accident. If you aren't going to cut it, at least don't let it fly around like that.

(Here we go, Snape's hair lecture)

Nicole:

The rules state that there is nothing wrong with my hair or the way I wear it.

Gold:

Didn't the Headmaster already explain that Nicole's hair hasn't exceeded the limit? So technically, she hasn't broken any rules.

Snape:

I don't recall asking your opinion, Miss Shawson. Another ten points.

Nicole:  
Oh but, Professor Snape, with hair as lovely as mine, it's only natural I'd want to take care of it and let it flow freely, so it doesn't look like, you know, something that dripped out of a dog's rear end like someone we know.

Snape:

Detention, Miss Laurette! Is there something you want to add, Miss Shawson?

Gold:

Yes, actually.

Later in Detention

Gold:

Did you have to make fun of Professor Snape's hair like that, Nicky?

Nicole:

You're the one who made that comment about his mother being a, what was it again?

Gold:

A dried-out mattress.

Nicole:

Good one. But, you know you didn't have to get detention with me. Cleaning potion vials isn't as bad as he makes it out to be.

Gold:

Don't be ridiculous. Don't you remember? We swore that if one of us ever gets in trouble, the other would do something just as bad so we could serve the punishment together. Isn't that what best friends are for?

Nicole:

But you already got in trouble for sleeping in. This is a little like overkill, don't you think? And he said we have to do this again for the next week.

Gold:

If you don't mind, I don't mind.

Nicole:

Gold Shawson, you are something else.

(Hi everyone. My name is Gold Shawson. I'm fourteen, British, and I'm a witch. The pale girl next to me, with the long white hair and blue eyes, is Nicole de Laurette, my best friend. We both attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and we're both in the same year. I'm a Gryffindor girl, and Nicole lives in Slytherin house. We weren't always best friends, though. My first year, Nicole and her former posse of Slytherins enjoyed making me miserable just because I was born to muggle parents. To those of you who don't know, a muggle is the term for people who can't perform magic. That year was especially brutal, because students with muggle parents were getting attacked by some giant snake that was moving through the school plumbing. Gross! Anyway, Nicole is a member of a British/French pureblood, that means all-wizarding, family called the Laurettes. Slytherin is famous for being made up of pureblood families. But at the start of my second year, Nicole changed. I don't know how, but suddenly she stopped teasing me and started protecting me from her former gang. When I asked what brought on this change, she told me a story)

Flashback

Gold is being bullied by three Slytherin girls, one of whom is levitating her bookbag in the air and causing the contents to spill out

Gold:

Stop it! Please!

Girl:

Oh look, the mudblood is gonna cry!

Nicole:

Hey!

Nicole walks up the girl who's levitating the bookbag and slaps her. She then starts to pick up the items that spilled on the floor and is putting them back in the bag

Nicole:

Here are your things. I'm sorry.

Girl:

What are you doing with that mudblood, Nicole?

Nicole:

As of this moment our friendship is done. You parasites go find someone else to cling to.

The three girls walk off, shocked that their leaders has abandoned them

Gold:

Why did you help me?

Nicole:

Gold, have you ever heard the story of the Frog and the Snake?

Gold:

No.

Nicole:

It's an African fable. At least I think it is. Anyway, there was once a young Frog, and one day, he met up with a young Snake. The two started to play together and they became fast friends. When they went home after playing, they told their parents about the new friends they made. The Frog's mother was shocked, and told her son that snakes are supposed to eat frogs, not be friends with them. The Snake's mother was shocked as well, and told him that frogs are actually food for snakes. The next day, the Snake visited the Frog's home, and told him to come out so they could play a new game he invented. But the Frog knew that Snake was really going to eat him, and he refused. To this day, frogs and snakes don't play with each other, because they are supposed to be mortal enemies. All because of what their parents told them to do. But…

Gold:

But?

Nicole:

But I don't think children should have to make the same mistakes their parents made. This summer opened my eyes to that. I'd like to be friends with you, to say I'm sorry for the misery they, I caused you last year.

Gold:

I think I'd like to be friends with you too.

(We started to become best friends after that. We vowed that we would always be there for one another People are always so amazed at the fact that Nicole and I are friends, and not just because of our houses. As I said before, Nicole is pale with long, straight white hair, and her eyes are blue, like looking into a pool of water on a sunny day, whereas I have dark skin, which Nicole usually tells me is the same shade as chocolate, and wavy black hair and gold colored eyes. I love the day, while Nicole is more nocturnal. I like dogs, she likes cats. I like sunflowers, she likes lilies. My favorite color is yellow; hers are navy, purple, and black. Despite our small differences, we still care for each other more than anyone can tell. But despite that, she still won't tell me what happened that summer before our second year)

Nicole:

Oh, by the way…

Gold:

What?

Nicole pulls Gold's head down

Gold:

Uh…

Nicole:

Wait for it.

A few minutes later, something made up of sparkling lights whizzes by Gold's head and starts to bounce off the walls. The thing then bounces off a bookshelf and the walls and out of the dungeon back into the hallways. Argus Filch, the Hogwarts Groundskeeper, and his pet cat, Mrs. Norris, stick their heads in the doorway. They are obviously trying to snuff out whatever the thing is

Filch:

Did you see a-

Nicole:

Just missed it.

Filch runs past the door to follow after the sparkling thing. A few seconds later, twins Fred and George Weasley enter the dungeon as well

George:

Have you two seen a-

Nicole:

Just missed Filch.

George:

Right.

The Weasley Twins dash off after Filch

(Oh, did I mention that Nicole can see the future? Well, not the entire future. She can only see bits and pieces of a day like what someone is going to eat for breakfast or what might happen during a class)

Gold:

Well?

Nicole:

Well what? Oh!

Nicole lets go of Gold's hair

Gold:

What was it?

Nicole:

The Weasley Twins were messing around with Filch's head.

Gold:

Those two are gonna make it big in the prank business one day.

Nicole:

If they live long enough.

Gold:

What's that supposed to mean?

Nicole:

Well, all this stuff that's been going on lately. Cedric Diggory's death, the disappearances, and not to mention the fact that Voldemort is back.

Gold:

What do you think might happen?

Nicole:

Well with the way Fudge has been acting, trying to get the Headmaster sacked…

Gold:

And having that toad Umbridge take up the D.A.D.A. position.

Nicole:

Dada? Isn't that an art style that's the opposite of art?

Gold giggling :

No, silly. D.A.D.A. D, A, D, A. Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Nicole:

'Course. That should've been obvious. Still, won't be long before its all-out war, and the Weasleys are going to be right in the middle of it, just like a certain know-it-all and the resident celebrity.

Nicole has a dour look on her face

Gold:

Nicole…cheer up! You wonder why people are always pegging you as a goth girl.

Nicole:

Why do people call me a goth girl?

Gold:

Because you always wear dark clothes.

Nicole:

You try wearing white without blending into the scenery.

(Before we go any further, you're all probably wondering what it was we were just talking about. No not the clothing! First off, Voldemort is this really evil wizard. Pure evil. Before either of us were born, Voldemort had legions of followers, each one believing the idea that people like me, witches and wizards who have muggle blood, were vermin that needed to be exterminated. He…died a year before I was born, but they say that he came back last year. But no one knows what to believe. Everyone's been acting crazy and paranoid. The Minister of Magic sent in Dolores Umbridge who, in my opinion, is the most horrible woman in the entire planet. Every day she treats her students like trash while sounding like your sweet little granny. She makes me feel the way I already do, only worse, but I could never tell Nicole that)

Gold:

Should we clean up the books that got knocked over?

Nicole:

Nah. We'll tell Snape the books got knocked over after we left if he asks.

Nicole and Gold finish cleaning out the potion vials and put them away in the cabinets. They head into the dungeon corridors

Nicole:

Did you get the homework from Muggle Studies class?

Gold:

Professor Burbage wants us to go over the lyrics in this Scare Tactics song and write up any stereotypes we can find.

Nicole:

Oh I love that band! Hold on…

Nicole looks through her bookbag

Nicole:

Uh-oh.

Gold:

What is it?

Nicole:

I lost the lyrics she handed out.

Gold:

No problem, I'm sure you can get another copy from Professor Burbage.

Nicole:

Meet me in front of the Great Hall for dinner?

Gold:

Sure.

Gold and Nicole separate at the Great Staircase. Nicole heads for the Muggle Studies and Gold heads up to the Gryffindor Common Room. As she starts heading down a corridor when someone says _Waddiwasi_, causing a book to go flying at Gold's head and knocking her down. Three girls walk up to her. Daphne Greengrass, her little sister Astoria, and Hera McNamara, girls in Gold's potions class. Daphne takes out her wand and points it at Gold's throat

Daphne:

_Silencio_.

Gold tries to open her mouth to yell, but nothing comes out

(My voice! I can't call for help)

Hera reaches down and grabs Gold's wand

Hera:

I'll be taking that. Not like you could do anything.

Daphne:

It's all your fault, Gold Shawson! You and your blood-traitor friend Nicole de Laurette. You two may have gotten detention, but the rest of us got double homework because of what you did!

Hera:

Ever since she started hanging out with you she's been making a mockery of Slytherin House, and causing trouble for the rest of us!

Astoria:

Yeah!

A portrait of a mother holding a baby notices what is going on

Mother in Portrait:

You leave that girl alone this minute!

Astoria:

You shut up!

The baby in the portrait starts to cry

Mother in Portrait:

Now look what you've done.

The mother and the baby exit the portrait. Gold gives the girls a look that says "I'm sorry", but they gang up on her until she's backed up against the stone wall. Gold tries to say something, but she can only mouth them

Daphne:

What should we do? Give her boils or turn her into a ferret?

Hera:

Why not make her teeth grow the size of a hippogriff?

Daphne:

Nah. The nurse can clear that up in a minute. Something that'll really mess her up.

Astoria:

How about we make her puke spiders?

Daphne:

Good thinking, sis!

(They're evil! Please, someone, anyone, help!)

Nicole:

UMBRARA!

Black shadows start to pour out of Nicole's wand and wrap themselves around the three girls. They start to cry and yell out, trying to break free of the inky blackness that surrounds them. Nicole picks up Gold's wand and hands it back to her

Nicole:

_Finite Incantatem_.

Gold's voice returns to her

Gold:

Thank you.

Nicole:

As for you three…

Nicole points her wand at the three trapped in the darkness

Nicole:

AGUAMENTI!

Water bursts out Nicole's wand and douses the three as the shadows begin to wear off

Nicole:

Now you're all wet.

Nicole grabs Daphne's wet hair

Nicole:

I thought I made this clear the last time, Greengrass. Mess with her and I forget we're family. Be lucky I don't stick your wands in a place where the sun won't shine. Now beat it!

Nicole pushes Daphne into her sister and Hera, and all three run off, soaking wet

Gold:

How did you-?

Nicole:

I was walking out of the third floor when this woman holding a baby in one of the pictures told me you were in trouble.

Gold turns to the portrait of the mother with her baby

Gold:

Thank you.

Mother in Portrait:

No problem.

The baby has stopped crying

Gold:

You'll think they'll tell Snape?

Nicole:

We've got witnesses. I thought Daphne would've backed off after the last time.

(By the last time, she means one weekend at Honeydukes when Daphne had been venting at me because of something I said in D.A.D.A., leading Umbridge to give us two essays for homework (even though all I said was her lipstick was on her teeth!). Nicole froze her and stuck her in the Honeydukes basement. When they found her, she said that one of the workers thought she was a statue made of coconut ice and was gonna shave off her hand. Nicole, Daphne, and Astoria are cousins by Nicole's mom. All pureblood families are related in a way, which kind of makes it awkward if they ever date one another)

Nicole:

You alright?

Gold:

Yeah, I'll be fine. She just caught me by surprise, that's all. I didn't want to put you to trouble.

Nicole:

Nonsense! What're friends for, that's what you said right.

(Bitten by my own words, again)

Nicole:

You want me to bring you back to the common room?

Gold:

Nah. I'm fine.

Nicole:

Alright. See you later.

Gold:

You too.

(The truth is, I'm not fine. I secretly hated myself for having Nicole come save me. Whenever something like this happens, Nicole is always there to save me. I may mouth off to a teacher just to protect her, but I can't fight. I wish I could be more like her. More brave)

Gold turns down the corridor when she hears a scream coming from behind her

Gold:

Nicky!

Gold turns around and runs down the corridor to where the screams are coming from. Nicole is standing on one of the windowsills in fear

Gold:

What is it?!

Nicole:

THAT!

Nicole points a finger towards the floor. There is a cockroach on its back, its many legs kicking up in the air and its feelers twitching around. Nicole's wand lays near it

Gold:

This?

(She might not be scared of most things, but roaches really freak her out)

Nicole:

KILL IT! KILL IT AND SEND IT TO HELL!

Gold:

Calm down.

Gold steps on the roach, then twists her foot on the ground. She takes out a tissue and wipes the bug goo off of her shoe. She bends down and picks up Nicole's wand

Gold:

Why didn't you just zap it?

Nicole:

I dropped my wand the minute I saw that…thing. Is it dead?

Gold:

Not getting any deader.

That's when whatever is left of the thing jumps up and scampers down the hall. Nicole lets out a little shriek and jumps back up on the windowsill

Nicole:

Why are they allowed to live?!

Gold:

You're such a drama queen.

The Great Hall, Lunchtime, the Next Day

It was cold, sunny day. In the Great Hall, the ceiling reflected the autumnal sky which hinted that winter would be on its way. Halloween had passed, and November had started. December was almost near. Gold is sitting down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall when the owls come flying in with the mail. A small, grey owl drops off Gold's mail

Gold:

Thank you.

Among the mail she has received, a subscription to the _Quibbler_ and an American music magazine which was for Nicole, some junk mail, and a letter attached to a red tin container. Gold sets everything down and takes out the _Quibbler_. After hearing about the slander that the _Daily Prophet_ was spreading, Gold cancelled her subscription and switched to the _Quibbler_. It was a little far-out, but entertaining to read nonetheless, and the daughter of the editor was in the same year at school as she was, although they weren't in the same house

Gold reading aloud :  
Let's see. _In recent news, the Ministry of Magic has yet to confirm if the recent sightings of creatures of as-of-yet unknown species are in fact connected to mysterious occurences going on in Azkaban Prisoner. Strange activity among convicted Death Eaters, and the hospitazlization of brothers Rodolphous and Rabastan Lestrange may have connection with assaults perpetrated by said creatures. The creatures in question have been appearing in all parts of Europe. They are humanoid in appearance, and there is some possibility that they are responsible for the disappearances of some muggles, wizards, and squibs in the areas where they have appeared. While we at the Quibbler have not been able to obtain a picture of these creatures, a collection of snapshots were sent in by a muggle news crew from international news station SKU News under special pardon from the Minister of Magic. The specific details of this pardon have not been fully investigated, but we at the Quibbler are doing all we can to find the truth. Where did these creatures come from? Have they always been here? Did someone create them, and for what purpose? Whether or not these creatures pose a threat to the wizarding community, they must be left to their own habitat so we learn more about them. If any of you readers know anything at all, please contact the Quibbler with information. We now show you the photographs (none-moving of course), as they were taken by the brave reporters who've requested to be named A-Ko, B-Ko, C-Ko, E-Ko, and F-Ko._

Gold turned the page to get a look at the photos. The minute she did she started to laugh at how hilarious they were. The creatures in the pictures were indeed humanoid, but they looked so ridiculous. Their skin color varied and they carried around large objects and wore skimpy suits. The five reporters in question were either being attacked or defending themselves. For some reason, the girls had obscured faces, making it difficult to make out their features except for their hair. Gold couldn't tell who was who, but in one picture a tall, lanky creature with orange skin and begonias sticking out of its chest was swinging around a girl by her pigtails, trying to bludgeon a girl with lightning bolts in her hair while the other three were in the corner praying. In the next, a creature that was definitely female, with indigo skin, wild hair, and had a giant cat attached to her back, was being held back by the five girls, this time because a girl who had her hair pinned up, was holding a rabid dog to the female creature. The other four were hiding behind the one holding the dog. The next one had a shiny-looking one chasing after the five as they rode off on a bicycle with five seats. The one after that showed the four putting up a fight to a green one in a leotard. A girl in a ponytail had the thing in a headlock, and a girl with an antennae in her hair was about to slam it with her elbow as she jumped from a fence. But the final one was the funniest out of all of them. This creature, yellow and purple with a mop haircut, was singing with the five as they played instruments like they were in a band. It reminded her of a video she once saw of the Beatles. Gold put the _Quibbler_ down as she started to calm down and tossed away the junk mail. She placed the music magazine in her bookbag to give to Nicole later. Gold took the letter that was taped to the top of the red tin. She recognized the handwriting on the front

(A letter from Aunt Lucy?)

Gold tore the top of the envelope and pulled out the letter, written in blue ink with a ballpoint pen. Like her parents, Gold's aunt was also a Muggle. But she was more…understanding about her abilities than her parents were. She was a woman of nice features in her late twenties who worked in a bakery. Before living with her, Gold had spent a year with her Grandma, before she succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease and was placed in a nursing home. Gold always felt a little guilty of having to live with her aunt, because she was still young and really wasn't sure if she was cut out to be looking after a child, even if she spent nine months away at school not counting breaks

Letter:  
_Dear Goldie,  
how are things at school? Been keeping out of trouble and getting good grades? I hope so. Things have been pretty much the same at home since you left. Gran's been making some progress over at the home, but she's still forgetting things a lot quicker. One minute she thinks it's the 60s, the next it's the 40s. The doctors are worried. Besides that, I sent a care package from the bakery, and I wanted to know if I should expect you home for the holidays or not. I didn't have anything planned except to visit the relatives and this party with some of the guys from work. Lemme know in your next letter what you want to do. Say hi to your friend for me.  
Love, Aunt Lucy_

Gold set the letter down for a minute

(That's right, the holidays are coming up. Aunt Lucy has to work extra hard to help the family pay for Gran in the hospital. She probably has her heart set on this party)

She took the tin and popped it open. Inside were sweet potato turnovers, her favorite treat

(Aunt Lucy, you're too good to me)

Gold:

I wonder what Nicole got in the mail.

Gold stood up at the table to try and see over at Slytherin Table. Nicole had a letter in her hands, but the minute she finished reading it she crumbled it in her hands. She is visibly distressed at whatever this letter said. Gold was worried. It took a lot to make Nicole upset if it wasn't someone bothering Gold. Later, as classes ended, Gold and Nicole decided to spend some of their afternoon in the courtyard and talk

Gold:

Get anything interesting in the mail?

Nicole:

The mail? No, nothing.

(Why is she lying?)

Gold:

I got a letter from my aunt.

Nicole:

How is she?

Gold:

She's doing fine. Told me about Gran and wanted to know what I'm going to do for the break. She asked if I wanted to come home for Christmas. Oh, she also said to say "hi".

Nicole:

That was nice of her.

Gold:

Well, here you go.

Gold takes out the music magazine

Nicole:

Thanks. I need this for Muggle Studies class. We better get ready though, we still have detention tonight, homework, then we have to get ready for Astronomy tonight.

Gold:

Why can't we have Astronomy classes during the day?Nicole:  
Huh? Because then we couldn't be able to see the stars, of course. They wouldn't be there during the day. Look.

Nicole points up the blue sky

Nicole:

Nothing but sky.

Gold:  
But just because someone can't see them, that doesn't mean they're gone. They're still up there, in space. The sun just hides them, because…Nicole:  
Because?Gold:  
…because.Nicole:  
What brought that on?Gold:  
Oh don't mind me, I'm just rambling.Nicole:  
Not like you to space out like that. Kinda odd, you almost sounded like Professor Trelawney.Gold:  
No way! I do not sound like that faker!Nicole:  
You did a minute ago. You gonna start wearing faux jewelry and running around screaming about killer dogs, Goldie?

Gold:  
Nicky you're awful!

Midnight at the Astronomy Tower

There are no clouds in the sky, showing a full moon hanging above with the millions of stars. The moonlight casts an eerie shadow over some of the dead trees in the courtyard. The students are stationed next to telescopes pointing up towards the sky, and they have charts on tables next to the telescopes to record what they find

Sinistra:  
Alright, class, for tonight's lesson, I want you to…

Nicole whispering :  
Hey, Gold.

Gold whispering :  
What?Nicole whispering :  
Look at the moon.

Gold lifts her head up to look at the moon hanging in the night sky

Nicole whispering :  
It's beautiful, isn't it?

Gold whispering :  
Yeah, it is.

Nicole:  
That reminds me, Professor Sinistra?

Sinistra:

Yes, Nicole?

Nicole:  
I know this might sound silly, but what do you think of the possibility of a tenth planet?

Sinistra:

A…what?Nicole:  
A tenth planet, one beyond even Pluto.(And she called me spacey)Sinistra:  
Well, some Muggle scientists have hypothesized about a tenth planet and have started searching for one using their technology. So far, nothing.

Nicole peeved :  
What if they aren't looking on the right frequency?

Sinistra:  
The what?Nicole:  
Did I just say that out loud?

Gold:  
Shout a little louder, I don't think the penguins in the North Pole heard you.Sinistra:  
I don't know what to tell you, Nicole. A tenth planet beyond Pluto, well it would have to be a very cold and desolate place. What did you mean by the right frequency?Nicole:  
I'm just saying, what if they aren't using the right technology.

Sinistra:  
That's just something you'll have to bring up during your next class with Professor Burbage. But ten points to Slytherin for a rather interesting question. Now then, everyone start to record on your charts these stars here, around Mars. Locate the position of the moons, Phobos and Deimos, and… As Professor Sinistra goes on, Gold and Nicole discuss Nicole's hypothesis of a tenth planet Gold:

Where did you come up with that, Nicky?Nicole:  
Earlier when you were talking about the stars, it made me remember something from when I was a little girl. I once borrowed a book about the planets and I wondered why there was never a tenth planet. Mother used to tell me that Muggles could never find a tenth planet, even if it did exist, with their "inferior ecletrical machines and radios".

Gold:  
She really said "ecletrical"?

Nicole:  
She was half-drunk when she told me. But, over time, I forgot I even mentioned a tenth planet. After I took up Muggle Studies, I started looking over books on telescopes and astronomy, and I figured they weren't looking on the right frequency for it. But, it's just an idea.

Gold:  
Nicky I am so proud of you!Nicole:  
Huh?Gold:  
That's the first time I've ever seen you so interested in school work before. I must be getting through to you.

Nicole:  
And what makes you think you had anything to do with it?Gold:  
Who convinced you to take up Muggle Studies instead of Ancient Runes?Nicole:  
…you did.Gold:  
Thank you, I'll be prepared to take my bow.Nicole:  
Shut up and get to work on your charts, before she deducts some house points.(Astronomy is actually my favorite class. I get some of the best grades out of everyone in my year, besides Nicole, I mean. I love looking up at the sun and the stars. For some reason, looking at the stars makes us both feel whole, in a way. Like the moon. It doesn't really serve a purpose, and it's not something you normally think about, but you look at it from time to time and it makes you feel happy. I guess that's because we both feel like such outcasts in this world. My parents abandoned me because I could do magic, Nicole abandoning everything her parents taught her. What is it about this world that makes me feel so out of place? All I want is to just be accepted by this world, to be just a witch like I was born. Does Nicole feel the same way that I do, do she want acceptance. I hear her speak differently, but is that how she really feels? I don't have the heart to ask her. It'd be like jamming a sword through this friendship)Gold:

Say, Nicky?Nicole:  
Yeah?Gold:  
What are you doing for the Christmas break?Nicole:  
The Christmas break?Gold:  
Do you have any plans, or are you staying at the castle like you did last year?Nicole:  
I…I'm…Gold:  
Is something wrong?Nicole:  
I'm going to France for the break. My, my mother told me I had to come home this Christmas.

Gold:

…is that what that letter said?

Nicole:

You know?

Gold:

I saw you reading it in the Great Hall. I was wondering what you looked so upset about.

Nicole:

Yeah. Yeah, that's what it said.

Gold:

Oh, that's too bad. I'm going to be lonely.Nicole:

But your aunt invited you to spend the holiday with her. Why aren't you going?Gold:

Because I figure she invited me out of duty.Nicole:

Duty?Gold:

She's still young. She doesn't need me hanging around her when she can be spending the holidays with her friends. It'd be nice to see her, but they'll be more breaks after this one.Nicole:

Oh.Gold:

Hey, maybe I can come with you for the holidays.Nicole:

Absolutely not! That is out of the question!

The other students turn to Gold and Nicole

Sinistra:

Girls, there a problem?

Gold:

No, professor Sinistra. Nicole just saw a bug.

Some of the other students snicker

Sinistra:

Well, don't disturb the other students.

Nicole:

Yes, Professor.

The students go on with their work

Gold:

You didn't have to yell. I figured you'd want someone to talk to if it meant you'd be spending two weeks with your mother.

Nicole:

I couldn't ask you to spend two minutes with that monster.

Gold:

I wouldn't be spending it with her. I'd be spending it with you.

Nicole:

No.

Gold:

Please?

Nicole:  
I said-

Nicole stops short when she sees Gold staring at her with big puppy dog eyes

Nicole:

You can't, I won't, fine! But I apologize in advance for anything that mother tries to pull while you're there.

The Laurette Mansion, a Few Days Later

Maid:

Excuse me, madam?

Lillian de Laurette:

What is it? I have a headache so make it fast.

Maid:

This just came for you.

The maid hands Lillian a letter. In her early forties, Lillian de Laurette is mistress of the Laurette Mansion. Formerly Lillian Greengrass, she married Marcel de Laurette in her early twenties, then separated some time after giving birth to Nicole. But never divorce. What would Mother Greengrass ever say about divorce? Unlike her daughter, Lillian has blonde hair the same color of the gold ring she wears on her finger with the big honking sapphire on it. Her eyes are green, of course, but it's similar to the color of snake skin. She is always wearing a white fur robe over her lace nightgown whenever she isn't expecting company. She examines the letter and once she's done going over the contents, she crumples it up and tosses it on the floor

Lillian:

Why are my children such disappointments?

Maid:

I'm sure I don't know madam.

Lillian:

No one asked you! Now pick that up BLEEEP!

Maid:

Yes, madam.

The maid picks up the letter and puts it in a wastebasket

Lillian:

Now leave, my headache is getting worse.

Maid:

Yes madam. Oh, and Mitsuru wants to know what he should do with the roses that arrived.

Lillian:

Put them in Nicole's room. You know I can't stand yellow roses.

Maid:

Yes madam.

The maid leaves Lillian's room so she may sleep off her "headache". Once in the hall, she takes something out of her back pocket

Maid:

It won't be long now.

The maid opens her palm to examine the Rose Crest ring

Maid:

You better hurry, little frog. Who knows what might happen to you and the snake if you arrive too late.

To be continued in the next chapter


	5. Author's Note

I am so, so, SOOOO sorry for making everyone wait. I'm so lazy I can't stand it. Here it is, with the wait I hope it's long enough to compensate it. I already started one of the spin-offs, if it makes any of you feel better. It probably won't. Well, next chapter, there it is. I'm sorry again.

I've been doing a bunch of other stuff to get over writer's block. Other fics with my OC. Most of it in the Legion of Super-Heroes category. I'll change the format after the next chapter, makes it easier to read.

Please, enjoy. And thanks to all who waited.


	6. 5: Frog and the Snake II

Forgive me. I suck at this, and I now it. I made mistakes in editing and canon and I have been so damn lazy. I've just been getting out of a funk. I hope, for those who are reading this, You are enjoying it. I realize I made a mistake when I added Daphne in the group, since Daphne isn't in the same year as Gold and Nicole. Well, Astoria's been blackmailing Daphne into doing her homework, and both got mad. Don't ask me why, I didn't make either girl, and they aren't exactly the stars of the Harry Potter books. Now back to business.

* * *

The Frog and the Snake: Part II

A Few Weeks Later

It was now December 24th. More news of supposed Death Eater activity had been occurring, Umbridgehad started to become more evil and creative in her punishments, and it had started to snow. Rumors were spreading in the school of a class, a class of students who were practicing defensive spells, the kind of spells Umbridge should've been teaching. Gold and Nicole had thought of joining, but the idea of a Slytherin doing some good for the school was sure to shock plenty of people, those who would believeit, that is. Gold informed her aunt that she would be spending Christmas with her friend, but had requested that her aunt send her a second tin of cookies. This time, for Nicole as a gift. The two were now in Hogsmeade, the village where Hogwarts students spend their weekends. It was snowing very hard that day, and Gold and Nicole were wrapped up tight, carrying their things as they made their way to the Hogs Head tavern, run by the mysterious bandaged man. The minute they entered, the bandaged owner, and ever other tavern patron, shot them a suspicious look

Nicole: Don't mind us, gents. Just passing by.

Nicole turns to the bandaged man.

Nicole: I'm Nicole de Laurette. My mother-

Bandaged Man: This way.

Nicole to Gold: Let's go.

Gold nervous: Uh, h-happy Christmas everyone!

Nicole: Oh and don't eat the yellow snow!

Someone tossed a glass at Nicole's head, she ducked ahead of time.

Nicole: Nice try.

Someone else tossed a second one, which she dodged, albeit with few seconds to spare.

Nicole: That, I didn't see coming.

Bandaged Man (annoyed): A-hem!

Nicole: Sorry.

The bandaged man leads them to a backroom. He points to a stuffed boar's head with glassy eyes and a big stitch running up it's face.

Gold (grossed): Is that it?

Nicole: I guess. Hold on.

Both Gold and Nicole grab the portkey at the same time. The experience is one that Gold enjoys immensely, like going on a roller coaster. In a whirlwind of color and light, the two land on snowy ground, somewhere in a section of French woods. Gold gets up and starts to shake off some of the snow.

Gold: That was fun! I love using those things.

Nicole: Fun for you, maybe.

Nicole staggers back up, her pale face now green.

Gold: Hey, are you alright?

Nicole (massaging her temples): Gimme a minute, portkeys don't settle well with me. I swear I'm gonna kill her.

Maid: Hello, Miss Nicole. I've been waiting for you.

The two turn to the Maid. She's young, with wavy hair down to her back and a black maid's cap. She's wearing your standard maid clothing, and she must be cold, although she won't let on that she is.

Nicole (surprised): Oh! You must be new.

Maid: Yes, Madame Lillian hired me a month ago. She asked me to escort you to the house once you arrived by the portkey. How was your trip?

Nicole: Wonderful. Just peachy.

Maid: That's nice. Here, let me get your bags.

Gold: That's okay, I can manage.

Maid: Well then, follow me.

The three start to walk down a path in the woods.

Gold: Aren't you cold in that outfit?

Maid: One of the other servants put a heating spell on me before I left.

Gold: Really? I can't wait till we learn that one. So, Nicky, your mother uses human servants?

Nicole: She doesn't like house-elves. She thinks they look creepy, that and she doesn't like them touching our family's prized possessions with their 'knobby little hands'.

Gold: You really don't like your mother, do you?

Nicole: When the word "bitch" was coined, they were thinking of her.

Gold: Nicole, you should be lucky you have a mom.

After walking down the dirt path in the winter twilight, the group finally comes up to a wooden fence.

Nicole: Well, there it is...home.

Laurette Mansion is a dark and foreboding place. A large, stone building expanding over the entire landscape. The garden in front has since died, and the large fountain built near the entrance is covered in dead vines

Gold: It's so-

Nicole: Ugly? Well the place went to pot a few years ago and mother has never bothered to pay for repairs.

Gold: Wow.

Nicole (under her breath): Not like the place was any better.

Maid: Shall we go in?

As the three make their way up the path, two figures from one of the top windows spy down.

Figure 1: Who is that?

Figure 2: You don't recognize your own niece?

Figure 1: No I mean the girl with them.

Figure 2: That's her friend, I think she's a mudblood.

Figure 1: A mudblood?! Is Lillian insane?!

Figure 2: Calm yourself. The Dark Lord said we can't kill as we like for a while.

Figure 1: I can't believe that little blood traitor-

Figure 2: Don't screw up! If the Dark Lord finds out we disobeyed his orders you know what that means. Besides-

Figure 2 takes Figure 1's hand to remind him of the Rose Crest on his finger

Figure 2: He's not the only one we have to worry about.

Down in the Foyer

The three are greeted by a little blonde boy in a green suit

Mitsuru: Welcome, Madam Lillian is expecting you.

Nicole: Eh? What the-?! Mother! Mother where are you?!

Nicole storms into a dimly lit parlor, with a fire roaring. Lillian de Laurette is reading _A Modest Proposal_ on the couch in front of the fireplace

Lillian: As coarse as ever, I see.

Gold, the Maid, and Mitsuru follow in. Gold is shocked at the sight of Nicole's mother

(Wow. That's her mom? She's so beautiful)

Nicole shaking her finger at Mitsuru:  
Mother, how old is he?!

Lillian: Mitsuru? About eight, or nine I'm not entirely sure I go through so many.

Gold & Nicole: Eight or nine?!

(Scratch that)

Nicole: For those of out there reading this, now is the time to call Child Services. The number is _1-800-555-KIDS_.

Gold: Call now and get a free T-Shirt!

Lillian: Who are you two talking too?

Gold: Oh no one.

Lillian: So, this must be your little friend. Nicole, you didn't tell me she was..._African_.

Gold: Actually I'm Jamaican.

Lillian: There any difference?

Nicole: Don't mind her. She must be sober. Shocking, so late in the day.

Lillian: Well, now that you're here you might as well make yourself comfortable. I expect you've already eaten lunch.

Gold: Actually we-

Lillian: Dinner will be at five o'clock in the east dining hall. Mitsuru, show Nicole to her bedr-

Nicole: I know where it is mother. I'm not stupid.

Lillian: Well, BLEEEEEP, you have to take care of dinner. Mitsuru, show...what was your name again?

Gold: Gold.

Lillian: Right, show Gold to her room.

Gold: Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Laurette.

Lillian: Just don't touch anything. Oh, and BLEEEEEP, please make sure I'm not disturbed. I feel another headache coming on.

Mitsuru: This way, please.

Lillian (Under her breath): Mudbloods in my house...

Mitsuru leads Gold to a room in the third floor. It's dark because the curtains have been closed and there are no lights or candles on.

Mitsuru: One moment.

Mitsuru takes out a match and begins to light some of the candles in the room. It's small, with only a bed and a dresser.

Gold: Mitsuru I hope you don't mind me asking but, why are you working here? You're so young.

Mitsuru: I need this job to get by. But I'm looking at a better paying one.

Gold: What about your parents?

Mitsuru: My parents are the reason I'm here.

Gold: I know how that is.

Mitsuru: Call if you need me, or BLEEEEEP, or any of the other staff.

Gold: I can manage. But, before you go, where is Nicole's room?

Mitsuru: Down the hall.

Mitsuru leaves the room and heads back down the hall.

Gold: Wait! Which-

Gold peeks her head out. Mitsuru is gone

Gold: Room?

Gold steps out of her room, holding a candelabra in her hand, and opens the door next to hers. But, there is only a brick wall.

Gold: 'Kay. How about door number two?

Inside the next room, it appears to be an ancient bathroom. The musty smell hits Gold like a ton of bricks

(What is that?! Ugh! Like bad cheese and dead flowers!)

She quickly closes the door and rushes back to her room, where she quickly tries to open the window and breath in the fresh air. She lets out a moan of relief as she hangs her head out the window

Two Hours Later

Lillian de Laurette: Mitsuru...

Mitsuru: Yes, Madame?

Lillian de Laurette: Would you check to see if my daughter and her, for lack of a better word, friend are ready for dinner?

Mitsuru: Right away, Madame.

Up in Gold's room, Nicole has been discussing with her if she's settled in okay, and is showing her a cream-colored dress that her mother expects her to wear at dinner.

Nicole: Look at it! It's so...

Gold: I think it looks nice.

There is a knock at the door.

Gold: Yes?

Mitsuru sticks his head in.

Nicole: Yes, Mitsuru?

Mitsuru: Madame is expecting you.

Nicole: Tell her to wait, we aren't dressed yet.

Mitsuru: Yes, Miss Nicole.

Mitsuru leaves, when Gold remembers something to ask Nicole.

Gold: Hey, I just noticed, where is your dad, anyway? I don't think I've met him yet.

Nicole: He's away on business. Which is just as well.

Gold: You don't like having dinner with your father?

Nicole: Hmm? Oh it's not that, it's because mother and father always get into arguments whenever they're together. Which reminds me...

Gold: What is it?

Nicole: We'll be getting some... unexpected company for dinner. Which is why you can have this.

Nicole hands Gold the cream-colored dress.

Gold: Wait, I can't take this.

Nicole: You aren't taking this, you're just wearing it for tonight.

Gold: But what are you going to wear?

Nicole: This.

Nicole takes out a pair of black jeans and a form-fitting t-shirt with the words _Scare Tactics_ written on it in blood-red words.

Gold: Hey!

Nicole: What?

Gold: That shirt was your Christmas gift!

Nicole (smiling): I peeked.

(At least she didn't find the cookies)

Nicole: Oh and the cookies were great. Give your aunt my regards.

Gold: What is the point in surprising you?

After the little revelation concerning the holiday gifts, the two friends made their way down to the dining room. Walking down the dark hallways, making twists and turns, Gold noticed that it did not take this long when she was first shown where she was staying for the vacation's duration. The entire house seemed to be filled paintings and pictures of the entire Laurette family. Mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, siblings, children, cousins, in-laws. They didn't speak like normal paintings, well, normal for witches and wizards, of course, but you would suppose that was because they didn't have anything to say. At least anything worth to saying to a person of Gold's heritage. But their lack of words was made up by their movements up and about in their frames. As Gold and Nicole walked down further and further, looking for the accursed dining room for what Gold was sure to hold a rather interesting dining experience with Nicole and her mother, the people in the portraits leered down, bending their heads and narrowing their eyes in the dim candlelit hallway to get a better look at the blood traitor and her friend. Most of them would move from frame to frame, squeezing into another person's view and causing some rather rude awakenings. Others, the more polite ones, simply ignored them. Others simply let a "ha-rumph" or a "hmph" here and there. And the ones who truly touched a nerve with Gold were the ones with a stare that could send shivers up Madame Pince's spine. Gold turned to Nicole, who was just looking straight ahead and paid no heed to the whispers and stares, and for a moment Gold thought she was back at school.

Nicole (whispering): Don't mind them and they won't bother me.

Gold felt a pang of guilt and she started to blush, although Nicole didn't notice, or decided not to. The happiness that she had disappeared, and she started to regret.

(Why do I always let her stand up for me?)

Nicole turned her gaze to Gold, and read the look on her face.

((If you only knew))

It was around this point that Gold noticed a portrait that was covered with a large burn mark. What was peculiar was that it was in-between a portrait of Nicole and a portrait of her mother. All three frames were vacant. Gold could tell who they belonged to because of the names, written on little gold plate at the bottom of the frame. Gold stopped Nicole and pointed to the empty portraits.

Gold: Nicole, is that yours.

Nicole: Yep.

Gold: Why is it empty?

Nicole: My portrait self disappeared a couple of years ago, out of shame I think. It's somewhere in the house, or any of the houses my family owns.

Gold: How many?

Nicole: Besides this house there's the one my grandparents have on the Riviera, one in Paris, and an old plantation somewhere in the Caribbean where we spend our vacations.

Gold: I meant how many paintings?

Nicole: I dunno. Don't bother to count.

Gold: Where's your mom?

Nicole: Drinking in one of the portraits in the third floor ballroom. Hasn't come down in years.

Gold: Ah.

Gold read the plate on the portrait in the middle.

**Portrait Frame**: _Lilith Auralene de Laurette_.

**Born**: _May 22, 19--_

Gold: Who's Lilith?

Nicole stopped dead in her tracks for a minute. She turned to the portrait for a moment, before she turned away from Gold.

Nicole: Lilith is, _was, _my sister.

Gold: You never told me you had a sister.

Nicole: I don't. At least, not anymore.

Gold took in a sharp breath.

Gold: Oh God, I-I'm sorry, I-

(I never know when to shut up. Some best friend)

Nicole: No, please. It's just, it was a long time ago.

Nicole began to clutch her shoulder.

Nicole: Still, I'd rather not talk about her.

Maid: Madame Nicole?

Nicole and Gold both turned to the end of the hall. The Maid was there, with a smile on her face.

Maid: Madame is expecting you.

Nicole: Yeah, right, of course. Well, come along, Goldie.

As Nicole followed after the maid, Gold could recognize that the tone of voice Nicole had was filled with a little sadness, and a lot of anger. Gold turned back to the portrait and looked at the plate.

(If her sister died, why isn't there a date of death?)

Maid: Miss Shawson?

Gold: Oh, sorry.

Maid: No need, are you worried about Mistress Nicole?

Gold: Well, it's just, I never knew she had a sister.

Maid: "Had"?

Gold gave the maid an odd look.

Maid: Oh, yes, of course. Silly me. I haven't been here long, you understand.

Gold: Oh, yeah. Of course.

Maid: Shall we?

Gold and the maid began to head for the dining room again, not knowing about the two figures at the end of the hall, one thinking about his wife and the other thinking about his brother's state of mind.

_Moments Later_.

Lillian: Nicole, just what are you wearing!

Nicole: A black-studded leather corset with lace bows and fishnet stockings. What does it look like, mother?

Lillian: I specifically told you to dress for dinner.

Nicole: I did. And so did my friend.

Lillian: What is she-is that the dress I gave you to wear!

Nicole: Scream louder, mother, I'm sure the Americans didn't hear that loud enough.

Lillian: You just lend a priceless antique dress to whomever you fancy.

Nicole: That's right. And after dinner I'm going to take her up to my room, give her a pair of scissors, and we'll make some new curtains.

(I can't tell where the screaming ends and the sarcasm begins!)

Lillian: Alright, alright, enough. Come, take your seats.

Nicole took the seat on her mother's left, and Gold took the seat on her right. Lillian looked at her empty glass and scowled.

Lillian: INGMAR!

Lillian yelled so loud that the table shook. A pasty-faced man with short white hair in a butler's suit appeared out of the corner of the room with an odd, almost mindless look on his face. Lillian held her glass up to the man.

Lillian: My glass, it appears to be empty. You see my dilemma.

Ingmar began to fill the glass with wine from a green bottle with a faded label.

Gold: Who's that?

Nicole: Mother's personal servant man, thing, whatever, Ingmar. He just showed up one day out of the blue and he's been swooping over her ever since.

Gold: He... he just appeared out of nowhere?

Nicole: Yep. Uncle Janold thinks he's an Inferi. I personally think he's a, what-do-you-call-them, savant.

Gold: Does he have any family?

Nicole: Not that we know of. Doesn't speak a word of, well, anything.

Gold: So how do you know his name is Ingmar?

Nicole: Well that's what she's calling him this year. We go through different names almost every year.

Gold: And he doesn't talk at all?

Nicole: Well, there is this. Ingmar, what's your favorite color?

Ingmar paused for a moment. He lifted his head and looked straight ahead of the table. He opened his mouth, and a low whining sound started to empty out of his throat, like an old screen door creaking open very, very slowly.

Lillian: ENOUGH! Ingmar, fill their glasses. But not the good stuff.

Ingmar closed his mouth and took out another bottle, a blue one, and started to feel their glasses.

Gold: But we aren't old enough to drink yet.

Lillian: My dear, this is France. It is customary for children to partake a bit of the drink now and then.

Nicole: Which would explain the French Revolution. Nicole: Blech. _Chateau d'toile_. What gutter did you fish this rat spew out of?

Gold: I'm not thirsty.

Lillian: Can't let good wine go to waste.

Lillian swiped away Gold's glass and started to guzzle it down.

Lillian: Ahh, that's the stuff.

Three courses and four bottles later...

Lillian (cheeks red): So, I take it Nicole has shown you some of our house.

Gold: Hmm? Oh, oh yes she has. You have quite an... interesting collection of portraits.

Lillian: You really think so? Then maybe you would like to hear a bit of our history behind those portraits?

Nicole choked a little bit on a food when she heard that.

Nicole (nervous): Oh, mother, I'm sure we don't want to bore her. Roll? Anyone want a roll?

Lillian (peeved): It is rude to interrupt when adults are speaking.

Nicole (more nervous): Is it really? I hadn't-oh, look your glass is almost empty! Ingmar?! Ingmar for the love of God-

Lillian: Ah, there we are.

The two turned to see Ingmar recapping the bottle. Gold was completely confounded.

Gold: What the-how did he-where did he-

Lillian: Yes, now, where was I-oh what now?

Nicole (choking): Cah-I-haaa.

Nicole started clutching at her throat as she pretended to choke on a piece of food like a melodramatic housewife.

Lillian: Oh for God's sake we're witches you stupid girl.

Lillian took out her wand and pointed it at Nicole's mouth. A spark of light shot out and a steel plate formed on Nicole's mouth. Nicole took her wand out and pointed at it, but to no avail it wouldn't come off.

Lillian: Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes...

(This isn't good)

Gold took out her wand but Lillian snatched it out of her hand.

Lillian: Now, now, no need for that. Now, where to begin? For as far back as the Laurette family tree can be traced back, we have been a family of witches and wizards who have always been blessed with the finer things in life. Whether it be wealth, status, or... companionship, we are a wizarding family who have spent tireless years to make sure we get what we want. And as an entirely pure blood family, we weed out the less desirable elements from the family tree, a family tree which now spans three continents. And of course we never associate with the wrong type of wizarding class. You understand of course?

Gold: ...of course.

Nicole was now desperately trying to get the plate off with a fork.

Lillian: But, there have been hardships in our family. During that whole ordeal with America, our family had to move to France to avoid being drafted. We moved back to England, of course, but most of us stayed and branched out, living in this very house for the last three centuries. Sadly, our family in England had to move back completely to France from our Whitechapel home for... business reasons during the later 19th Century. And then of course there was the rivalry between Uncle Plutus and Aunt Claudessa. Plutus believed that our children should primarily hone their wizarding schools at Beauxbatons while Claudessa believed they should attend Durmstrang. Eventually the two killed one another, and a small chunk of the American branch of our family in a duel that took place in some American city called Chicago. Claudessa had the bad luck to start a small fire that got out of control. Luckily for us it was blamed on a nearby farm animal owned by the local muggles. Not the smartest tacks muggles are.

Gold: My parents are muggles.

Lillian (face redder): Really? I mean, I could tell you were a muggle-born, but it doesn't show. Not that much at least. So you're parents are both muggles?

Gold: My father left my mother when I was baby. My mother died when I was a child. That were both muggles.

Lillian: Ha! Shows how much you can rely on muggles, then.

Nicole (muffled): Oh God, Mother.

Lillian: Anyway, the family decided on Hogwarts. And despite these moral failings, ours has been a strong family. This is the kind of stock you should be proud to come from, Nicole.

Nicole finally pried the plate off her mouth.

Nicole: Proud? I should be proud to come from grave robbers, pimps, and whores?

Lillian: My dear, you come from businessmen, entrepreneurs, and entertainers.

Nicole: So Uncle Arthur's an entertainer, then?

Lillian: A-ha-ha-haa! W-which Uncle Arthur would that be?

Gold: Ow, Mrs. Laurette you're kicking me!

Lillian: I think that's enough about our family history.

Nicole: Oh, please. Let me tell something about what my family's like, Gold. You see that ring on my mother's finger? With the garnet?

Gold: Yes?

Nicole: It was a birthday gift from my Great-Uncle Argonne. He was a mortician. He pried that ring off the cold, dead, body of a businessman who killed himself during the second World War! This fine linen? We got this during the Russian Revolution, when great-aunt Lizette stabbed a 82-year-old woman in the head as they were looting the czar's palace! And this silverware? The Marquis de Sade's.

Gold yelped and dropped her fork. She then shivered when she thought about where that fork could've been. That was now the highlight of the evening.

Lillian (drunk): That's right. Yell at me and embarrass me in front of the mudblood. You always were such a disappointment you little-

Nicole (now standing): I'm the disappointment?! You've got some nerve calling me the disappointment, you drunk! Tell me, when I become an inconvenience, are you gonna do to me what you did to Lilith-

Lillian got out of her seat and slapped Nicole across the face. Nicole cried out as she hit the floor.

Lillian: Slut!

(Okay, that's it)

Lillian: You've been nothing but an inconvenience since-

Something inside snapped, and without warning, Gold punched Lillian right across the face.

Gold: Leave her alone!

Nicole looked up, astonished at her friend snapping like that. Lillian went flying out of her and landing in front of the tree. One of the ornaments fell off and hit her on the head. Gold was gasping for air and her hands were shaking. Until finally, she calmed down and realized what she did. She looked at Nicole, then she looked at Lillian as she got up and brushed the ornament pieces out of her hair. She shot a very angry glare at both of them, and Gold was suddenly afraid of what her friend's mother would do. Lillian aimed her wand at both of them, Gold stepped in front of Nicole when she did, until Lillian dropped the wand and angrily left the dining room.

Lillian (in the hall): INGMAR! GET ME MY ROBE AND THE SHERRY!

Gold turned back to the Nicole and helped her up off the ground. Nicole pushed Gold's hand away and got up on her own. She started to wipe away the dust from her clothes.

Nicole: I guess this mean's no dessert.

Gold: God I can't believe I did that.

Nicole: That was amazing. Weird, but amazing. Why'd you do that?

Gold: What kind of question is that? She called you a slut. Was I supposed to sit by and do nothing?

Nicole didn't reply.

Gold: ...what did you mean when you mentioned your sister?

Nicole: What?

Gold: You said "are you gonna do to me what you did to Lilith" before she slapped you.

Nicole: Look, the less you know, the better.

Nicole left the room. Gold had a concerned look on her face, and Nicole began cursing herself for sounding so bloody melodramatic. The Maid and Mitsuru entered the room with a tray of pastries.

Maid: Oh! Did Madame Lillian and Nicole leave already? Miss Shawson?

On the next floor in a small room.

Man #1: Did you see what that little mongrel did?! Let me at her, I swear-

Man #2: Get a hold of yourself, man! What if someone finds us!

Man #1: Let them! I don't care anymore! When am I going to-

Man #2: Brother if you just follow the instructions, everything will be clear by midnight.

Man #1: Those girls are going to screw it up. I'm starting to regret choosing to hide here.

Man #2: Don't.

Man #1: It's been so long since I've seen her. Does she even care that we aren't together? She always cared about the Dark Lord more then me, even after what we did to the Longbottoms together.

Man #2: Don't worry, Rudolphous. All good things come in time...

Somewhere, in a dark room...

A woman sat on a bed of black and violet silk. She fanned herself.

Woman: How much longer is this going to take?

She examined her nails in the light, showing her emerald ring and her rose crest.

Woman: They should've been dry ages ago.

Much later, Gold's room.

Gold couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, still worried about her friend. And what still worried her was what Nicole had said about her sister.

(It figures. I want to know my friend better and I walk into a soap. Some Christmas this turned out to be. I hope she▒s alright. Maybe I should go see if Nicky's al-)

When, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Gold (confused): Yes?

The door slowly opened, and attached to it was a letter.

(What is...?)

Gold lit a candle near her bed and walked up to the door. She took the letter from the door.

Letter: _If you want to know more about the snake, follow the arrows_.

Gold: Arrows? What arrows?

Gold peeked her head out the door, and saw that there were chairs lined up against the walls and the doors. At the end of the wall, the line of chairs had a line of signs placed on them. Each had a hand pointing to the left, with the words "this way". Meanwhile, in Nicole's room, she was snoring away when her door started to creak open. A figure madetheir way into her room and took a chain off her nightstand. A chain with a little sun amulet on it and a tag that read "For Gold". As the figure creeped...

Gold found herself at the end of the hall, the arrows. She looked up. An open door. Her wand was ready.

**Sign**: TO THE SNAKE.

(What is this?)

She silently walked up the stairs. She reached the top step and looked inside. The room was lit with candles and filled with junk. She walked silently, wand poised. She wouldn't dare call out. That was certain death. A floorboard creaked. Her heart skipped a beat. And then, her wand flew out of her hand.

Voice: Now, now.

Gold gasped as she saw the ragged man step out.

Rudolphous: Shouldn't walk around in the dark.

Gold: You, you're Rudolphous Lestrange. You're a, a-

Rudolphopus: Death-Eater?

Gold: W-what do you want with me?

Rudolphous: Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you.

(At least not yet)

Rudolphous: We have business.

Gold: We do?

Rudolphous: That envelope. Shake it a little.

Gold, her mind wondering what she was doing as her body took the envelope she still had, shook it, and ring popped up. A rose crest ring.

Rudolphous: Put it on.

Afraid of what would happen if she didn't, she put the ring on. Her eyes went back to him, horrified as he drew out a long blade, and wearing a sickly green rose on his chest. He had a similar ring.

Rudolphous: You know that little friend of yours? She's my niece.

(Niece?!)

Rudolphous: And VERY expendable.

Gold's pulse all but stopped as fear consumed her soul.

(No!)

Gold: What have you done with Nicole?!

Rudolphous: Oh. Suddenly she has a backbone.

Gold: Where is she?!

Gold stepped forward, anrgy and threatening. Rudolphous laughed, and then, his brother Rabastan stepped out of the dark, his arms holding Nicole from her, before Rudolphous tossing a blade and a yellow rose at her feet.

Rudolphous: Put it on.

Gold didn't hesitate to put the rose on her breast and picked up the sword. Before she could speak, Rudolphous came charging at her. At a church in a nearby town, the bells rang.

Gold: What are you-?!

Rudolphous: Getting what belongs to me!

Gold: What?!

There wasn't really a duel to speak of. It was mostly Rudolphous swinging his blade at Gold while she tried to protect herself. Mitsuru hid in the dark, watching with sick glee. Nicole was silent, afraid.

Rudolphous: Ever feel like you've never belonged? Like no matter how much you try you never get what you want.

Gold: Y-yes, but that doesn't explain-!

He had her backed up against the wall, breathing calmly and explaining to her.

Rudolphous: My wife detests the ground I walk on. She loves our Lord more then she could ever give to me. I gave her everything and she gives me shit in return.

Gold: What does that have to do with me?!

Rudolphous: Hell if I should know. He never did explain what was so special about you.

Gold: Who? Voldemo-?

Rudolphous: DON'T YOU EVER SAY HIS NAME.

Spit was on her face.

Rudolphous: I always thought the Dark Lord was the strongest. The most powerful of us all. Until I met HIM.

Gold: Who?!

Rudolphous: End of the World.

(Who is he talking about?! "End of the World"?! What's going on?!)

Rudolphous: If I have the power, then I could do anything. And I'll make her love me again.

Gold: You're crazy! Why are you doing this to me?! End of the World? Power? You're not making sense!

Rudolphous: Like a mudblood could understand. You're all the same. Wanting to be like us. So sad and so parasitic. But, I hear you're something special. Something unique. I've never killed an endangered animal before. I'll put your head on my mantle. Or better yet, a gift to the Dark Lord.

Tears streamed down her cheek as Rudolphous pressed his blade closer. All Gold could do was defend herself and her life. Rabastan laughed a perverse laugh as he drew Nicole closer.

Rabastan: You've no idea how long we were waiting for this. Ever since that green-haired bitch got us out of Azkaban. No one's even noticed.

He moved his hand from Nicole's mouth.

Nicole: What do you have to gain from this?

Rabastan: I'm his Bride.

Nicole: His bride?!

Rabastan: I have to be here. A little consolation. He is my brother, after all. But look! Your little mudblood friend's gonna die, dear niece.

Rabastan's tongue hung from his mouth, and he began to lick Nicole's cheek. Gold's eyes widened.

Rabastan: And then I can play with you all to myse-

Gold: DON'T TOUCH HER YOU BASTARD!

The petals scattered from Rudolphous' lapel and blood spilled.

Rudolphous (whispering): No.

The bells rang.

Rabastan's jaw dropped, and his arms went limp. Rabastan let Nicole go and let her run to Gold. The two friends embraced, forgetting the circumstances.

Nicole: Please, what's going-

Rudolphous: _Crucio_!

The two screamed in pain, twitching and writhing as the torture curse worked it's way through their bodies.

Rabastan: _Crucio!_

The pain doubled.

Gold: Oh Gooood!!!

Nicole: Make it stop! MAKE IT STOOOPPP!!!

Rudolphous: _Crucio, crucio, crucio!!!!!!_

Gold wanted to die. She wanted to let the pain stop so badly. Nicole twitched like squirrel, flipping around the floor as she screamed.

(Please! Please don't let it end like this!)

Tear filled eyes turned to Nicole.

(Please don't let her die)

It wouldn't stop. It seemed to last for hours. The brothers raised their wands, again, for the killing blow. Gold tried to grab Nicole's hand. They touched.

Rudolphous: _Avad-_

Suddenly, the two stopped moving. Eyes closed. They lay their like dolls. The brotheres leaned in confused.

Rabastan: Are they-?

Their eyes shot open, wide, but it seemed like Gold and Nicole weren't there. Light enveloped them. Beautiful, white light. The brothers sceamed as it filled the room and shot through the windows. It made a beam in the sky few could see. On Gold's head, a circle symbol appeared. On Nicole's, a vague, black shape. The light continued, for just a minute. And then, it was just the two, sleeping, breathing. Gold Shawson held Nicole de Laurette's hand, as best friends should.

(I'm so, so, sorry...)

((It's coming...))

In the Dark Woods...

Voice: There. It's done.

The two brothers slumped in the snow. A young woman holding an oar stood in front of them. The woman with the fan stood next to her.

Voice: They have no memories of what occurred.

Woman: Excellent! And judging from the light show, I'd say we're right on track. I'll have to thank Mitsuru for setting up those signs.

The woman waved her fan, and the two disappeared.

Woman: Back to jail before anyone notices.

Voice: Am I done? You said-

Woman: Done?

She let out a loud and haughty laugh.

Woman: If you want these...

She held out two crystals in her hands. One dark green, the other lavender. They twinkled like stars.

Woman: You obey.

The girl with oar scowled.

Woman: Now then.

The woman closed her fan.

Woman: I must be off. It's been fun.

Voice: Off? Off where?

Woman: Where else?

The car pulled up. In the lights, Green Esmeraude smiled.

Esmeraude: The ends of the world.

Her laugh cut through the night.

To Be Continued...


End file.
